A Success Story in Rio Hondo, Texas

by Yvonne Dunbar, RHISD Start Coordinator
Published December 11, 2006

The program I work with is the Rio Hondo ISD Even Start Family Literacy Program. We are a small rural school district with about 2000 students, located 10 miles east of Harlingen, and 15 miles northeast of Brownsville.

About four years ago, our district had received the 21st century grant at which time an Adult Community Learning Center (CLC) was inaugurated. The EL-Civics grant was also obtained, and ESL classes were started on a regular schedule. As parents attended classes, some began to bring their small children to the CLC, where a small nursery was opened in a little room next to the classrooms. While the solution was adequate this setting created too much noise and interruption. The Even Start grant was written and when obtained it gave an opportunity to combine already existing components into one: build parent’s self-esteem and confidence, to develop their literacy skills, and to break the cycle of school failure for themselves and their children.

Guadalupe (Lupita) Zamora was born in Panuco, Mexico, the youngest of 10 children. She went to school until 10th grade, and later came to the Rio Grande Valley at the invitation of some cousins. She needed to provide for her 2 young children who remained in Mexico with her mother. After an unsuccessful marriage, living in a shelter, moving to an apartment and working as a domestic and hotel maid, she met her current husband a resident of Rio Hondo. She joined our program in the Spring of 2004. She was 39 years old, with 6 children. Her oldest children are now professionals in Mexico, and the other four live with her and her husband in Rio Hondo. They are now 16, 14, 7 and 4. She wanted to attend ESL classes, and qualified for services for her youngest daughter who was 2 at the time. She had returned as a migrant from North Carolina. Her husband who had been a manager in a cotton gin and she a ticket lady, was still undecided about settling down in Rio Hondo. He obtained his GED in the summer of 2004, through the CLC. This accomplishment was the ticket he needed to obtain fulltime work.

School success could be predicted in this family. Lupita was not happy just with English classes. She enrolled in the Migrant HEP program at TSTC. She carpooled, driving 2 other participants to GED classes. In the summer of 2005 she and one other friend obtained their long awaited GED. Immediately doors began to open for her. She had been a volunteer at Head Start through the years, and had been invited to apply for a teacher aide job as soon as she earned her high school equivalency.

But Lupita had higher goals. She had been advised at TSTC about the availability of financial aid and additional help for migrant students. She had a difficult decision to make. We helped her analyze the pros and cons of working, going to school part-time or full time and caring for her family.

Ultimately, she decided to try her first semester as a fulltime student and she enrolled in the Teacher Assistant program. Financially, it was possible, and today she has completed 18 college hours and is in her third semester. She has found part-time work in a local bakery that will accommodate her school schedule. Her family is supporting her efforts in every way possible, from caring for the youngest children, driving her home after work and assisting with homework assignments.

Lupita continues to defy the negative side of life, and has embraced college life. We continue to offer her transition services, although her daughter is at Head Start. We assist her with the use of a computer or with ideas and materials if she needs them for her college presentations. Her children are beginning to shine in school. Her 16 year old is in ROTC, the Upward Bound program and last year was champion of the newly formed wrestling team in the Rio Hondo High School. Her 14 year old son, wants to be a dentist, and is very active in school activities. He will be learning the art of Mexican pastry baking this summer, and attending some Upward Bound activities. Both young men have learned carpentry and welding from the father. The second grader is a GT student and her youngest will enter public school next fall. The children are completely bilingual. While in South Carolina, the boys were translators for the staff and Spanish speaking families in the schools they attended.

Lupita has not forgotten her roots, and she visits her mother and older children in Panuco. She makes sure that her younger children also interact with her family in Mexico during school vacations and through the Internet. Family and culture are an important part of her life.

In an essay for Financial Aid, Lupita said: “I want to set a good example for my children, especially when it comes to overcoming obstacles on the road to obtaining a college education.” She is teaching and modeling this belief to her children and the community, and a respect for herself, her family members and others.

The future is bright for this family. We look forward to continuing to support Lupita as needed, so that she can reach her goal of becoming a teacher assistant. For this reason, we consider Lupita Zamora a true success story that happened to walk through the doors of our Even Start program, and who we continue to be privileged to follow and help succeed.