Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González
At the 2025 RSTEF Annual Awards Ceremony on March 13 at the Radisson Hotel in the Rio South Texas Region, leaders from across the educational landscape gathered to celebrate community-driven progress and transformative investments. Among the highlights of the evening was the announcement of a significant $100,000 grant awarded to Teach For America Rio Grande Valley (TFA RGV), a program working to build a sustainable pipeline of local educators and leaders in South Texas.
The announcement came from Adam Gonzalez, CEO of Rio South Texas Education and Community Development Foundation (RSTEF) and COSTEP. Gonzalez opened his remarks by reflecting on the foundation’s ongoing commitment to the community.
“The foundation has always given back to the community,” Gonzalez said, highlighting that this year’s $2.9 million in awards is projected to generate a total impact of $5.8 million through matching funds. He emphasized the power of strategic support and local collaboration: “It’s a great honor to serve this organization.”
Gonzalez also praised the work of Teach For America and invited Ana D. González, Executive Director of TFA RGV, to the stage, calling the event a “one-of-a-kind” celebration that brings “energy and combustion” to educational and workforce initiatives in the Rio Grande Valley.
Ana Gonzalez delivered a meaningful speech, emphasizing the urgency and significance of educational equity in the region.
“Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Ana Gonzalez. I have the privilege of serving as executive director at Teach For America Rio Grande Valley,” she began.
“I want to begin by just recognizing our advisory board. They are true educational champions, and they are accompanying us. Tonight, our board chair, Debra Cordova, Vice Chair Juan Padron, incoming vice chair, Dr. Christian Corrales, and senior managing director for partnerships and networks, Jonathan Stevens.”
“Our vision at Teach For America is to ensure that all of our students across the Rio Grande Valley receive and have access to an excellent education. We work towards this aim by attracting top-notch talent into education during such a critical time to be an educator and developing their leadership at all levels of the education system.”
She highlighted the organization’s focus on recruiting individuals who deeply understand the region:
Specifically in our core program, we dedicate our efforts to recruit and engage college graduates and young professionals who understand what it means to grow up in South Texas, facing challenges that often arise from growing up in low-income homes and communities. But you know what? This is the best place for our students to grow up and receive an excellent education.”
“About 80% of our current pipeline is from the RGV, an increase from 66% in 2023. Our largest recruitment pipeline is with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.”
“Teaching is a really high-demand and high-wage career in South Texas… We provide direct resources to pass exam requirements and align our training to the state-required certification process… Additionally, we provide a stipend to assist with living expenses when they commit to our full-time training.”
“We provide a research-based pre-service experience, which includes actual teaching experiences with students under the supervision of a veteran mentor teacher. We have invested in more digital professional development and wellness resources… which they can access once they join our program and throughout their two-year commitment and beyond.”
“Nearly 75% of our local alumni still work in education… with 100 teachers still in classrooms, 10 mid-level leaders including assistant principals, principals, deans, instructional coaches, four school system leaders, and one elected official in the Rio Grande Valley.”
“We work with ACT RGV for teacher certification, UTRGV for recruitment, and the Region One Education Service Center for technical assistance and other projects.”
“This is important in our community because, like our goal’s mission, we are stronger when we all work together to support our local efforts—ensuring that our community and our students have the skills, knowledge, and access to economic opportunities, enabling them to pursue meaningful careers and live prosperous lives right here in South Texas.”
“Through this $100,000 grant, we will remove barriers to entry into the teaching profession for talented residents in our region and equip them not just with a certification, but also the training to have a successful career. On behalf of our team, students, and community, thank you to the board of directors and everyone involved in supporting this vital work. We are honored to be your partners today and for future generations.”
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