December 2020 Newsletter Vol. 2 Iss. 4
December 2020 | Vol.2, Iss. 4 December 2020 Newsletter
RGV LEAD Welcomes New Staff Member Denisse Rios
Vol. 2, Iss. 4 | December 2020 RGV LEAD Welcomes New Staff Member Denisse Rios Whereas December brings about the end of a year, it can also be the beginning of something new. As is the case for Lupita Vallejo, RGV LEAD, office assistant and receptionist, who is leaving RGV LEAD to pursue a degree in criminal justice from The University of Texas RGV. Lupita has been with RGV LEAD for the past year and will hand the baton over to Denisse Rios from Weslaco. RGV LEAD welcomes Denisse as the new office assistant and receptionist. Denisse was [...]
RGV LEAD Regional Conference Coming January 2021
Vol. 2, Iss. 4 | December 2020 RGV LEAD Regional Conference Coming in January 2021 Save the Date! January 14, 2021, is the date set for the RGV LEAD Regional Conference. The Keynote presenter will be David Leal from Bank of America and a former RGV LEAD Scholarship recipient. The conference will be virtual and will follow previous conference agendas. The Opening General Session will begin at 8:30 a.m., followed by two breakout sessions that will be filled with presentations related to education and training. The Closing General Session will be at noon. As in the past, there [...]
RGV LEAD Data Initiative Team Meets
Vol. 2 Iss. 4 | December 2020 RGV LEAD Data Initiative Team Meets The RGV LEAD data initiative committee met on December 2nd to discuss the dissemination of district data that RGV LEAD received from the Texas Education Research Center. The data compares outcomes for college-and-career-focused students with outcomes for non-college and- career-focused students in the Valley and the State. The report findings will be presented to superintendents at an upcoming virtual meeting scheduled for January 27, 2021 at 9 a.m. Pictured attending the data initiative meeting were: (Top l-r) Dr. Esmeralda Adame - South Texas College and [...]
RGV LEAD Distributes Education & Career EXPO Prizes
Vol. 2, Iss. 4 | December 2020 RGV LEAD Distributes Education & Career EXPO Prizes If you saw someone jolly handing out gifts at Whataburger on North 10th in McAllen, you might have thought it was Santa Claus! Guess again! It was none other than Luis Rodriguez, RGV LEAD Executive Director, handing out prize winnings from the Virtual Education & Career EXPO, which was held in October. Students listened and interacted virtually with several business representatives during the week-long EXPO. After each presentation, students completed a survey which acted as a ticket to enter for a door prize. [...]
RGV LEAD Marketing Committee Meets
Vol. 2, Iss. 4 | December 2020 RGV LEAD Marketing Committee Meets At 6′ 3″ tall, and weighing 300 pounds, Jonathan Medina was a tremendous athlete at Rio Hondo High School, not only as one of the most dominant linemen in Texas football but also in basketball where he earned All-State honors. His high academia and athleticism earned him a three-year starting position at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He was a force to be reckoned with! Today, Medina continues to apply his leadership talents by serving on the RGV LEAD Board as the Marketing Committee chair. He [...]
TRPN Districts Think Outside the Box
Vol. 2, Iss. 4 | December 2020 TRPN Districts Think Outside the Box The RGV LEAD Texas Regional Pathways Network team (TRPN) met with the North and South District teams to collaborate on finding ways to have students actively engaged in work-based learning (WBL) experiences. The three North TRPN districts, comprising Lasara, San Isidro, and San Perlita, are focusing on agricultural welding pathways. The three South TRPN districts, comprised of La Feria, Rio Hondo, and Santa Rosa are focusing on the construction, health science, and renewable energy pathways. During the December 1st zoom meeting, the six school districts [...]
Planning for January Texas Regional Pathways Network Meeting
Vol. 2, Iss. 4 | December 2020 Planning for January Texas Regional Pathways Network Meeting Plans are underway for the Texas Regional Pathways Network meeting with RGV LEAD, the North TRPN group, and the South group. The RGV LEAD Intermediary team is busy working out the details, which will include visits from Derek Nino, Jobs for the Future, and Amanda Longtain, Texas Education Agency. The focus will be on college and career information and advising for the designated pathways. Great things are surely in store for 2021!
Thank You, Royal Technologies!
Vol. 2, Iss. 4 | December 2020 Thank you, Royal Technologies! “I just happened to be in the neighborhood!” Janie Johnston Lopez, RGV LEAD contractor, stopped by Royal Technologies to visit Trung Nguyen, Royal Technologies’ plant manager. A heartfelt “Thank-You” was extended to him and the company on behalf of RGV LEAD for its much-valued partnership and in-kind donations to RGV LEAD. Royal Technologies has been instrumental in providing job shadowing opportunities, summer externships for teachers, summer internships for students, and participating in the RGV LEAD-inspired mentoring program. RGV LEAD looks forward to the day when doors can [...]
Thought of the Month: “It is December . . .”
Vol. 2, Iss. 4 | December 2020 “It is December and Nobody Asked if I Was Ready.” Here we are at the end of 2020, a year filled with uncertainty. The year kicked off with the race to the White House, but then, our nation and our world began witnessing another kind of battle - the COVID-19 pandemic. Back in March, schools shut down and learning went virtual. We had no idea how long that would last! So, here we are in December and most students are still learning from home! Who would’ve thought! Yes, the year has [...]
