Rio Grande Valley

Since I could last remember, my grandmother has been the central figure in my family, sagacious and unfaltering in compassion. The stories of her life in rural Mexico with a family lineage extending back to Latin America always provided my daydreams with a substantial amount of material to play with. While my family did not have the financial means to travel to these countries with their colorful histories of kings, queens, and warriors, I knew I would have to visit the land my ancestors once…

My father was born in Mexico in 1969. When he was younger his family did not have much money. His older brothers had to work to help support the family because their father had gone to America to find work, and did not send money back to his family. They did not have many of the things like we do now. An example of this was my father and his sibling had to make their own sandals. These were made with rubber from old tires and string. Jose, my uncle, was the first sibling to cross over into…

advancement as a society. Much later, long after the fall of Chaco Canyon and Pueblo Bonito, around 1500, Pecos Pueblo served as a center of commerce between the hunter gatherer populations of the Great Plains and the agricultural societies of the Rio Grande valley (Calloway, 26). Trade and commerce was essential to the lives of the Iroquois tribes as well. The Great League of Peace and the Iroquois Confederacy led to a unified society and this promoted the exchanging of goods between groups…

My ambition to become a dentist and practice in underserved community clinics comes from my experiences living in the Texas Rio Grande Valley. My hometown, Los Fresnos, is between two of the poorest cities in America - Brownsville and Harlingen. Some areas of Los Fresnos have more than 90% of families living below the poverty line with average household incomes below $15,000. Many who live near the poverty line rely on inexpensive or government clinics to receive health care. As a resident of…

On an ordinary day, around 4:45 pm, I, Matthew Watson entered society as an innocent and delicate infant destined to inherit this world. Full of life and energy, but, in desperate need of care, I was greeted with unconditional love from two enduring individuals, who had persevered through the trials of life: my parents. I can only imagine what I felt during these times. Being constantly under watchful and careful eyes, having utmost attention, and most importantly living a happy, simple life…

I started reading a novel called Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, by Dee Brown. The novel is based on a true story that occurred around the fifteenth century. This story takes place in old history, and talk about the Native Americans at the time when the Europeans arrived to the new world. The story started out when Christopher Columbus was exploring the new world in 1492, and found its people, who were kind and nice and called them Indios. There were many tribes who lived in the east coast region…

An issue I've rarely seen spoken about is the racial problem of minorities towards other minorities. Growing up in the Rio Grande Valley, a city right besides Mexico, I hardly interacted with other cultures and races. I never faced any sort of racial discrimination, but I was definitely a witness to it. This experience has brought me to believe that offensive stereotypes perpetuated by the media causes minorities to view each other negatively and discriminatorily. To begin, my high school had…

My initial exposure to dentistry came at an early age. My aunt is a dentist in Mexico and my grandfather was the technician in charge of her in-house dental laboratory. While growing up my summers were spent at my aunt’s dental practice, and while I waited for my mother to get out of work I observed, interacted with patients, and assisted both my aunt and grandfather. As I grew so did my curiosity for dentistry; however, it was not until I had a dental emergency that I considered dentistry as a…

My family and I moved to Weslaco, Texas when I was three. Weslaco is where I grew up and a place I call home. Even though Weslaco is a small city/town in the Rio Grande Valley, it’s what I’ve known my entire life. I live in a small house in a quiet neighborhood with my family. I am the oldest out of four and have always been the one to be the example to my siblings. I was raised by two loving parents who have taught me to always appreciate the little things and moments because things could have…

My interest in medicine sparked when I was an adolescent being cared for by my pediatrician, Dr. Gonzalez. As a kid, I consistently had shortness of breath and wheezing during sports competitions. As a result, Dr. Gonzalez diagnosed me with asthma and prescribed an inhaler and nebulizer to prevent complications. I am grateful for Dr. Gonzalez’s medical knowledge and advice because I was able to be successful as a student athlete. Sports were valuable in my life because they made me disciplined,…