1. Raspa
stands
on
street
corners-­‐
Tamales
from
Delias-­‐
Endless
palm
trees.
These
are
things
I
missed
about
the
Rio
Grande
Valley
being
away
at
college.
Returning
as
a
first-­‐year
elementary
school
teacher,
I
am
quick
to
point
out
all
the
wonderful
things
about
living
here
that
my
students
overlook.
However,
like
most
youth
growing
up
in
the
Valley,
I
used
to
see
leaving
home
as
a
sign
of
success.
It
was
my
goal
to
go
to
college
and
leave
my
life
in
the
Valley
behind.
That
all
changed
when
I
got
to
Southern
Methodist
University
in
Dallas
and
found
myself
suddenly
in
the
minority.
The
school
was
located
in
the
upscale
neighborhood
of
Highland
Park
and
often
I
would
be
the
only
Hispanic
in
my
classes.
This
challenge
soon
emerged
as
a
great
opportunity
for
clarifying
my
identity.
Living
and
studying
alongside
people
from
backgrounds
much
different
than
mine,
I
began
to
recognize
how
my
culture
had
shaped
my
life.
I
began
to
take
conscious
pride
in
being
Hispanic.
This
insight
affected
my
involvement
on
campus
–
internships,
jobs,
and
extracurricular
activities.
In
my
role
as
a
University
Ambassador,
I
was
tasked
with
introducing
prospective
students
to
the
university.
As
I
toured
young
Hispanics
around
campus,
I
saw
glimpses
of
myself–
another
candidate
for
the
kind
of
transformational
educational
experience
I
had
been
fortunate
enough
to
have
at
SMU.
However,
the
more
I
spoke
with
these
students,
the
more
I
began
to
learn
about
the
gaps
in
opportunity
many
Hispanics
face
in
receiving
quality
education.
The
idea
of
going
to
college,
let
alone
a
private
university,
was
daunting
for
many.
When
I
heard
about
Teach
For
America,
I
saw
it
as
a
bridge
that
used
my
SMU
education
to
motivate
and
“sell”
education
to
students
who
were
at
risk
for
failure.
I
knew
that
TFA
teachers
worked
in
the
Valley.
At
first,
I
balked
at
the
thought
of
returning
home.
I
felt
that
success
meant
seeking
ever
expanding
opportunities
and
experiences,
and
that
certainly
did
not
include
returning
to
home.

2. However,
the
more
I
reflected
on
my
own
path
to
SMU
including
adults
who
expected
less
of
me
because
of
my
skin
color
and
friends
who
were
much
smarter
than
me
but
had
fallen
through
the
holes
in
the
system
–
the
more
convinced
I
was
that
my
true
calling
was
back
home.
Now
that
I’m
back
and
in
my
first
year
of
teaching
at
Wilson
Elementary
in
Harlingen,
I
am
happier
than
I
have
been
in
a
long
time.
The
work
is
hard,
but
the
potential
I
see
in
my
students
makes
the
challenges
well
worth
the
fight.
It
is
my
mission
to
remind
students
everyday
that
being
from
the
Valley
provides
them
with
a
unique
voice
and
rich
heritage.
I
encourage
them
to
see
the
potential
and
power
that
they
hold
as
Hispanic
youth
and
to
be
cultural
trailblazers
in
education.
My
own
educational
journey
became
possible
because
of
the
sacrifices
my
abuelos
made.
They
had
a
limited
education,
but
they
did
whatever
it
took
to
make
sure
their
kids
went
to
college.
By
the
time
I
was
born,
education
had
a
reputation
in
my
family
as
the
golden
ticket
to
a
better
life.
That’s
what
I
want
every
kid
in
my
classroom
to
know.
Whether
it’s
the
numbers
on
their
zip
code
or
their
parents’
paycheck,
they
deserve
access
to
the
same
resources
and
opportunities
as
kids
in
more
affluent
communities.
All
it
takes
is
one
generation
to
set
the
precedent
for
leveraging
the
power
of
education
to
live
out
your
dreams.
As
a
Hispanic
woman
from
the
Valley,
I’ve
had
incredible
opportunities
to
shape
my
own
future.
Now
it’s
up
to
members
of
the
Valley
to
help
the
kids
of
today
create
theirs.
Marie
Medrano
is
a
2014
alum
of
SMU.
She
majored
in
Communication
and
Advertising
and
minored
in
Business.
She
is
a
Teach
For
America-­‐Rio
Grande
Valley
corps
member
teaching
fifth
grade
math
at
Wilson
Elementary
School
in
Harlingen,
Texas.