Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González
In a small, close-knit community in La Joya, Texas, a young girl watched her parents work tirelessly in the fields, enduring long days under the scorching sun to provide for their family. Judge Nereida Lopez Singleterry was raised in a household where education was not just a goal—it was the promise of a better future. Her parents, immigrants from Mexico, came to the United States with nothing but a third-grade education, determination, and an unshakable belief in hard work.
“My parents sacrificed so much to allow me to succeed,” she said. “They may not have had formal education, but they gave me something more valuable—the resilience to keep going no matter the obstacles.”
That resilience was honored that night. Judge Lopez Singleterry was one of seven remarkable women recognized at the 5th Annual HISPANIC WOMEN MAKING HISTORY Awards, hosted by the Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas (HWNT) Rio Grande Valley Chapter at the Radisson Hotel and Event Center in McAllen, Texas. This event celebrates the leaders, trailblazers, and change-makers of the Rio Grande Valley, shining a spotlight on the extraordinary accomplishments of Hispanic women who are making history in their respective fields.
As she took the stage to accept her award, Judge Lopez Singleterry stood before a room filled with powerful women—some who had mentored her, some who had walked beside her in her journey, and some who would follow in her footsteps. It was a moment not just of personal recognition but of collective triumph.
“This moment is not just about me,” she said. “It’s about every woman who has refused to take ‘no’ for an answer, has fought for her dreams, and has broken stereotypes. It’s about the power of sisterhood.”
Judge Lopez Singleterry’s journey was anything but easy. As a child, she and her family worked as migrant laborers, moving from place to place, unaware of where their next meal would come from. She knew struggle intimately, but she also wanted more for herself and her family. With determination and an unbreakable spirit, she became the first in her family to attend college.
Despite financial hardships, she refused to give up on her dreams. She attended the University of Texas-Pan American, often staying with friends because money was scarce. Sometimes, she barely had enough food, but she pushed through, knowing that education was her key to a different life. “I remember those days when I didn’t even have money for an apartment or food,” she recalled. “I had to rely on friends’ kindness and perseverance.”
Her journey became even more challenging when she pursued her law degree at Michigan State College of Law. As she was completing law school, her father was fighting for his life, and her mother was also battling serious health issues. She graduated alone, walking across the stage without family by her side, a heartbreaking but defining moment. “I walked that stage in Michigan alone, knowing that my parents wanted to be there but couldn’t,” she said. “But I carried their dreams with me, just as they had carried me all my life.”
Rather than seeking a career in a big law firm or chasing personal wealth, she returned to the Rio Grande Valley, where she knew her legal skills would have the most significant impact. Over the next 14 years, she dedicated herself to protecting the most vulnerable members of society, serving as:
• A public defender, fighting for children and victims of domestic violence.
• A municipal judge in San Juan and an associate judge in Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, and Starr counties, making critical decisions that affected the lives of countless people.
But her fight for justice did not stop there. In November 2024, Judge Lopez Singleterry made history by becoming the first female judge of the 476th District Court in Hidalgo County. Even more remarkably, she and her husband are the only Hispanic couple in Texas to be elected as State Judges. Their achievement is not just unique—it is formidable and groundbreaking, setting an example for countless young Latinos who dream of law and public service careers.
Her election, however, was not just a personal victory. It was a victory for every woman told she was not enough, for every young girl from a small town who dares to dream bigger.
As she addressed the audience at the HISPANIC WOMEN MAKING HISTORY Awards, she reflected on the journey that led her to this stage.
“I want my daughter to grow up in a world where she doesn’t have to prove why she is qualified constantly,” she said. “Where she won’t have to wait her turn, where she won’t have to fight for a seat at the table—because she will already have one.”
Judge Lopez Singleterry’s presence on the bench is not just about justice but perspective, representation, and empathy. One of the most impactful moments in her judicial career happened recently when she presided over the case of a 13-year-old girl whose mother had abandoned her. The young girl felt hopeless, believing that no one understood her pain. The mother, broken and uncertain, struggled with her role. Judge Lopez Singleterry spoke to her as a judge and a woman who had experienced firsthand struggle.
“I told her, ‘I know what you’re going through,’” she recalled. “‘I’ve been a migrant worker, I’ve had nothing, I’ve been in law school alone without food or shelter. But you cannot give up on your daughter.’” After two hours of deep conversation, the mother changed her heart and took her daughter home.
Tragically, just a few days later, the young girl passed away. At her funeral, the mother approached Judge Lopez Singleterry in tears and said, “Thank you for allowing me to spend the last days of my daughter’s life with her.”
For Judge Lopez Singleterry, this is why representation in the judiciary matters. “We, as women, bring a different perspective. We know what it is to struggle, fight, and persevere,” she said. “And that perspective is desperately needed, especially in our community.”
The HISPANIC WOMEN MAKING HISTORY Awards exist precisely to recognize and uplift women like Judge Lopez Singleterry, who are not just breaking barriers but creating paths for those who will come after them.
Her accomplishments are monumental, but she wears them not as a badge of personal success but as a responsibility—a responsibility to carry the torch for future generations. She recognizes that many young girls growing up in small towns like hers face the same struggles and wonder if their dreams are too big.
She wants them to know that no dream is too big.
Judge Nereida Lopez Singleterry’s story is more than a tale of personal triumph—it is a blueprint for resilience and a reminder that barriers exist to be broken. From a migrant worker’s daughter in La Joya to a district judge in Hidalgo County, she has proven nothing is impossible.
“This little girl from La Joya, who nobody believed in, is now a judge,” she said. “And I will carry this forward—because being the first means ensuring we are not the last.”
