Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González / Texas Border Business
PHARR, Texas — The Pharr EDC Foundation awarded 50 scholarships to students from local high schools during its 2026 Scholarship Award Ceremony on June 1 in Pharr.
The event opened with remarks from Victor Perez, president and CEO of the Pharr Economic Development Corporation and chairman of the Pharr EDC Foundation. Perez said the foundation has awarded more than $1 million to more than 500 students during its first five years.
“Tonight it’s about our students, you, our parents, our teachers, educators, whoever’s here, because without them, you students would not be able to be here,” Perez said.
Perez said the foundation’s mission goes beyond providing financial assistance. He said the organization works to connect scholarship opportunities with workforce development efforts through partnerships with local industries.
The ceremony’s keynote speaker was Romeo Cantu, who shared his experiences growing up in the Rio Grande Valley, attending The University of Texas at Austin, and building a career in media. He encouraged students to take pride in where they come from and to be prepared to tell others about their background.
“One message that I want you all to remember here, where you’re from,” Cantu said. “You’re from the Valley, you’re from Pharr and have your story ready because people are gonna ask you that.”
Cantu recalled arriving at UT Austin in 1984 and learning that some words and place names were pronounced differently than he was accustomed to in South Texas. He said those experiences reinforced the importance of remaining proud of his roots.
“What I was proud of is telling them where you from,” Cantu said. “So do you know what you’re gonna say? You’re from Pharr.”
He encouraged students to speak confidently about their hometown and the Rio Grande Valley when meeting people in other parts of the country. Cantu pointed to the region’s role in international trade and its proximity to SpaceX operations as examples of accomplishments that residents can share.
“We all have a story. We all know where we’re from and we need to be proud of where we’re from,” Cantu said.
Cantu also discussed his career in television and journalism. He said he interviewed public officials, celebrities, and newsmakers during his career and stressed that his journey began in the Rio Grande Valley.
Reflecting on a personal experience, Cantu told students that he appeared as a contestant on “The Price Is Right” in 1996, where he said he won a car and a boat and met host Bob Barker. He said he later returned to interview Barker during the longtime television host’s final show, an interview that resulted in an Emmy nomination.
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“I got to go back full circle,” Cantu said. “I was on the show and then I got to go back and meet him and talk to him about his life experience.”
Cantu concluded by encouraging scholarship recipients to make the most of their educational opportunities and to remember the people who helped them reach that point.
“Remember your family, remember your parents,” Cantu said. “Most importantly, remember where you came from because you can be anything and anyone you want to be.”
The scholarship ceremony recognized 50 students and marked another year of the Pharr EDC Foundation’s efforts to support higher education and workforce development opportunities for local graduates.
