Texas Border Business
By Joey Gomez
McALLEN, Texas – When Tina Israel walks across the stage at South Texas College’s December commencement, she will celebrate a milestone she once believed belonged to everyone else but her.
At 33, the Bay City, Texas, Main Street manager is preparing to earn her Bachelor of Applied Science in Organizational Leadership (BASOL) after balancing college coursework, a full-time career and a second job as a certified pharmacy technician.
“I told myself that I didn’t need to limit myself, that I deserved to have a college degree,” Israel said, recalling her motivation to enroll at STC.
While her three siblings attended universities, Israel went to work. She spent 10 years as a pharmacy technician with CVS before joining Bay City in 2021.
Encouragement from colleague Oscar Garcia, a former STC student, introduced Israel to the college’s BASOL program and she enrolled in summer 2022. She didn’t know at the time, but Israel said that was the start of a journey that has strengthened both her confidence and her work as she continues to serve her hometown.
Living about five hours from McAllen, Israel said the program’s affordability and flexibility helped her pursue an education while maintaining her professional responsibilities.
She initially continued working part-time at the pharmacy while holding her full-time city position and completing assignments through STC’s online virtual campus.
“It was hard, but I wouldn’t be here without those challenges that set me apart from everyone else,” she said.
Her return to college followed a difficult chapter. In 2021, she lost her grandmother and boyfriend to COVID-19 and her grandfather, whom she had helped care for passed away shortly after that due to heart failure. After years spent caring for others, Israel said she began considering what she wanted for herself.
The Main Street position offered a new purpose rooted in a familiar place. Her first job, at 15, had been at a downtown hair salon, she said.
Today, Israel supports small businesses, coordinates community events, administers grants and oversees two historic districts.
As her coursework advanced, she found opportunities to examine her management practices and apply new approaches.
Israel has earned recognition as a Texas Municipal League Leadership Fellow and led efforts to secure national accreditation for Bay City’s Main Street program.
“I was able to take my job, step outside of it and my role and dissect the things that I do,” she said. “Thanks to STC, I discovered innovative ways to run my program within the city and most importantly, I learned what I can do to make it better.”
With commencement on the horizon, Israel said December will mark an achievement that already extends value into her community. She hopes her experience reminds prospective students that working fulltime does not mean setting their education aside.
“You just have to trust your gut and believe in yourself,” she said. “Because even at 33, I’m graduating college, and I have a full-time job, and I will be able to do more now with that degree than I could yesterday.”
For more information on STC’s Organizational Leadership program, visit southtexascollege.edu/academics/organizational-leadership/.
