Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González
On Thursday, March 13, 2025, community leaders, educators, nonprofit organizations, and institutional partners gathered at the Radisson Hotel in McAllen to celebrate the second Annual Awards Ceremony of the Rio South Texas Education and Community Development Foundation (RSTEF). The evening, hosted by Adam Gonzalez, CEO of both COSTEP and RSTEF, marked another pivotal moment in the region’s ongoing commitment to economic growth through educational advancement and workforce development.
Gonzalez opened the ceremony with a touching acknowledgment of the foundation’s legacy. Initially established in 1974 as a secondary student loan market, the organization has transformed over decades to meet the evolving needs of Rio South Texas region students. “The foundation has always given back to the community,” Gonzalez said. “At one point, we served over 45% of higher education students in this region by offering lower federal interest rates—up to 3% below the national average.”
In 2019, the organization formally transitioned into RSTEF, aligning itself more clearly with the mission to build a more skilled and economically empowered workforce in Rio South Texas. With more than $9.4 million awarded since its reformation—leveraged into $18.8 million through matching contributions—the foundation has funded 26 strategic initiatives across the seven-county region, with a special focus on post-secondary education and workforce readiness.
However, perhaps the most resonant moment of the evening came during the remarks of Dr. Matthew Hebbard, Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment at South Texas College. Representing the college’s president, Dr. Ricardo Solis, Hebbard passionately highlighted the critical role RSTEF has played in launching one of South Texas College’s most impactful initiatives to date: JAG Reconnect.
“Well, good evening, everybody,” Hebbard began. “On behalf of our president, who is at multiple events tonight and cannot be here, and our board of trustees, I bring sincere gratitude.” He also took a moment to recognize Laura Warren, a South Texas College Foundation Board member, acknowledging the shared commitment that has made initiatives like JAG Reconnect possible.
Dr. Hebbard painted a sobering picture of the institution’s challenges: “Although we are a great institution with almost 30,000 students annually, we noticed thousands leave—not because they’re failing or unhappy, but because they face real-life obstacles: financial stress, the demands of adult life, mental health issues, food and housing insecurity, even transportation challenges.”
He revealed that internal research identified over 30,000 former students over a six-year span who had left with some college credit but no degree—2,500 of whom were only one to four courses away from completing their program. “We realized these students were not gone; they were paused. And we knew we had to bring them back.”
With this data in hand, South Texas College acted. Under the leadership of Dr. Solis and with the vision of its board, the college restructured an entire department to launch a re-engagement campaign. The result was JAG Reconnect, a targeted initiative to help former students return to complete their degrees, secure meaningful employment, and pursue stable, upwardly mobile careers.
“Last year, with the generosity of RSTEF, we were able to launch the Valley Promise Program, guaranteeing free college to graduate seniors in Starr and Hidalgo Counties,” Hubbard explained. “With that same support, we hired Ms. Melissa Peña, our Director of the Valley Promise, and now, thanks to an additional $125,000 grant, we have expanded into JAG Reconnect.”
The RSTEF grant has enabled the college to establish a dedicated department for adult student re-engagement. “We’ve recently brought on Ms. Luis Ramirez as our Director of Student Reengagement,” Hebbard shared. “This JAG Reconnect Scholarship Fund will directly support thousands of returning students—people who want to finish their degrees in nursing, technical trades, education, and beyond.”
He emphasized the ripple effect this support would have. “We have some of the highest nursing pass rates in the state. We offer high-quality programs. With this funding, we are opening the door for people to finish what they started and enter the workforce stronger, better prepared, and more confident.”
“Thank you to RSTEF. Thank you to Mr. Adam Gonzalez and Raphael Tapia,” Hebbard concluded. “This money will be spent well. It will help students earn credentials, find jobs, and change their lives. That’s what we do best—graduate students.”
The ceremony also emphasized the ample spectrum of initiatives RSTEF supports across the Rio South Texas region—from STEM tutoring and biomedical training to teacher apprenticeships, industrial robotics, and construction science programs. The foundation’s comprehensive strategy was further emphasized in Gonzalez’s remarks: “These are programs that lift students who’ve fallen through the cracks and offer them a path to finish strong.”
This year’s awards totaled $2.9 million and were matched to create a $5.8 million impact—an enduring demonstration of the region’s shared commitment to economic equity through education.
In Rio South Texas, where education, community, and resilience are interwoven, the RSTEF Annual Awards Ceremony celebrated progress and reaffirmed purpose. Through the voices of leaders like Dr. Hebbard, the future of students who once walked away from college now looks brighter than ever.
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