Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González / Texas Border Business
McAllen, TX – Elizabeth Diaz Gonzalez, a 1999 VAMOS scholarship recipient and principal of the UTRGV McAllen ISD Collegiate Academy, encouraged the newest class of VAMOS scholars to persevere through adversity, make intentional choices and pursue lives of purpose during the 30th Annual VAMOS Scholarship Banquet.
Speaking to students, families, educators and community leaders, Gonzalez reflected on her own journey from a childhood marked by instability to becoming an educator and school principal. She told the audience that many people would have assumed her future was already determined by her circumstances.
“Most people would have looked at my circumstances and assumed my story was already written, that I would become another statistic,” Gonzalez said.
She described growing up with a father who struggled with alcoholism and later died from the disease, while her mother continues to face mental health challenges and alcoholism. Despite those hardships, Gonzalez said education, mentors and scholarship opportunities transformed her future.
“Receiving the VAMOS Scholarship did more than help pay for college,” she said. “It changed the entire trajectory of my life.”
Addressing the 2026 scholarship recipients, Gonzalez shared 10 lessons she said have guided her life and career. Among them were the importance of kindness, helping others, protecting one’s physical and mental health, surrounding oneself with positive influences and learning to distinguish between circumstances that can be controlled and those that cannot.
“Your circumstances may influence your story, but they don’t determine your future,” Gonzalez said. “Your choices do.”
Gonzalez encouraged students to persevere through setbacks and remain focused on long-term goals rather than temporary obstacles.
“Don’t become consumed by what is happening to you,” she said. “Stay focused on where you’re going.”
She also urged students to step outside their comfort zones, explaining that every major opportunity in her career required them to accept uncertainty. Gonzalez described helping to establish the UTRGV McAllen ISD Collegiate Academy from its earliest planning stages, including developing academic programs, recruiting students, and building campus culture before the school opened.
She said the academy’s first graduating class of 63 seniors completed more than 42 college credit hours through UTRGV while still in high school and collectively earned nearly $11 million in scholarship offers and awards.
Throughout her address, Gonzalez credited mentors for helping her recognize opportunities that changed her life. She recalled meeting Educational Talent Search counselor Terri Salinas in ninth grade, saying that simple encouragement led her to pursue college and ultimately apply for the VAMOS Scholarship.
“When you’re in a position to help someone, help them,” Gonzalez said, encouraging the scholarship recipients to give back to future generations.
She concluded by thanking VAMOS for its lasting impact on her life.
“To the VAMOS organization, I will forever be grateful for the impact that you have had in my life,” Gonzalez said. “Anytime I am called upon to help, I don’t hesitate. It’s my honor and pleasure to give back to this organization in any way possible because you have helped change my life for the better.”
The banquet celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Valley Alliance of Mentors for Opportunities and Scholarships. During the evening, VAMOS awarded $1 million in four-year renewable scholarships to its 2026 class of scholars. The event also included a $25,000 donation from Chick-fil-A Rio Grande Valley in support of the organization’s mission to provide scholarships, mentoring and ongoing support for students pursuing higher education.
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