Educator Comments on Viability of Begum's Proposed Graduate Student Internship/Mentoring Program to Curb BISD Absenteeism

From the editor:  The letter below, from someone associated with out local university, illustrates the viability of Begum's proposed program to create an internship to mentor young people with chronic absenteeism.  

The writer adds their own suggestions and life experience, but we've blotted out some words for the sake of privacy.



Ms. Begum,

I received your election Mother's Day email. I would like to add something that is very important and left out in your campaign promises. Especially when it comes to truancy and valuing education. You should also include internships which are capable of generating future economic growth in the RGV.

Teaching, law enforcement, education (secondary and below) are good venues for finding role models, but they all are reliant on local business for their financial solvency. Adding programs that link 'at risk' kids with STEMS (Science Engineering and Technology) at the University, at least I feel, will serve a better role in encouraging in our young people the need for advanced education in our region.

I know from my own experiences there is a small minority of 'at risk' kids whom are very bright and creative but face harsh difficulties at home. When these youths hardship is coupled to our floundering public school education system these children stand a higher chance of being pulled into activities which are 'negative'.
Instead we could direct them towards the sciences and create a safe non-judgmental space where natural curosity and desire to understand can thrive and consume the students idle moment with more 'positive' directions. I've seen in my professional science outreach experience parents moved by their children's excitement to support their path to education. I've also seen children become stronger and more convinced that learning is a way to success in life not the dull drudgery of repetition/regurgitation from 8am to 3pm that most students experience.

I know that several of us at the University of Texas at Brownsville, the soon to be UT-RGV, work tirelessly to promote STEMs outreach. I can easily name many at UTB whom work so much more harder at promoting STEMS here than I. If we had allies in the community with the strong voices, like yours, needed to promote us in the community I feel we could really reach out to all children, both 'at risk' and not.

I can only speak for myself and not officially for the university, but you'll find many allies amoungst us for implementing mentorship programs in STEMs. In my department, Physics and Astronomy, we create, host and promote all types of community events, geared for adults, family, and school kids. These events are chances for community members to peak into the exciting and often incorrectly stereotyped world of science and research.

You could be our first loud community voice if elected, pointing out that what has been occurring in higher education at our university really is cool cutting edge science we've seen on television but didn't realize was occurring in our own community. Imagine what well integrated STEMS outreach program between the university and community could do for the future of high tech industry in our community.

I'd like to say that this message is my own little soap box rant because I love this community, am a Hispanic woman scientist. I moved away to expand my horizons and now I've moved back home as a Assistant Research Professor at UTB, and I want to help as many young people in my community have the wonderful benefits and experiences I've had as a scientist.

A scientist who has been privileged to work at leading institutions like the California Institute of Technology, Albert Einstein Institute, and as a visiting scientist at Brazil's version of NASA. As a young person, I had a less than perfect upbringing, but I gained valuable mentorship through after school academic and internships with STEM groups. I shadowed engineers at CP&L, and TxDoT as a teenager.

Those programs I feel are where our future lies, especially if we are to be home to the next space port in the United States. I am not speaking for the university, that is not my duty or do I have that power. I do however have the power to be a strong advocate for education and use my position to do so as I have been doing during my time as a UTB professor.

I also know that there already exist many programs like those I participated in my youth that need a strong community voice to raise awareness of these opportunities in our community. I would be delighted to partner with community leaders like yourself to develop programs that help all of the youth in our community. Making a difference is important to me. Please spread this to all of your community leader colleagues, and I wish you the best in your campaign efforts. Good Luck!

Sincerely,
Dra. Cristina Valeria Torres

PS.
We have any monthly outreach programs like:
Astronomy in the Park (Last Friday of the Month)
Monday Night Physics (First Monday of the Month)
Physics Circus (Traveling Science Show, nationally recognized and selected as the best student org at UTB in 2014, these are my students whom want to make a difference also)