00:00:35.100 --> 00:00:36.150 Down, you still getting like 00:00:37.590 --> 00:00:39.750 A little bit of artifact, a little bit. 00:00:41.640 --> 00:00:44.190 But I'm learning. I'm learning as we go. 00:00:45.510 --> 00:00:47.130 So thank you, I appreciate you. 00:00:49.380 --> 00:00:50.880 Thank you, Ryan. 00:00:52.170 --> 00:00:53.940 You know, what can I say you had the drive. 00:00:55.980 --> 00:01:12.030 Right for those well I guess everybody else except for the two people in this room, I accidentally drove to the Douglas campus this morning, instead of where we are now, which is Sierra Vista. So this is our. This is my inaugural 00:01:15.540 --> 00:01:19.320 What's the word podcast on site on site on site. 00:01:20.850 --> 00:01:29.310 With my my handy dandy, mobile, mobile kit that I didn't really know how to use because I thought it was broken, but the volume was just down 00:01:30.870 --> 00:01:31.680 Because I'm an idiot. 00:01:33.030 --> 00:01:48.630 Okay. Well, listen, once you give yourself a little introduction, so I don't have to butcher everything a little introduction, I love, I love a little introduction and, you know, we tend to turn it into like a dissertation or something, but that's that's higher and that's what we should 00:01:50.460 --> 00:01:58.650 So yeah, my name is Melissa Silva my official title at the University of Arizona is Student Services Coordinator coaches County. 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:05.040 That really means that I do everything regarding student services. 00:02:06.090 --> 00:02:25.230 Financial Aid admissions recruitment outreach event planning, you name it all surround do of course the success of our students at our University of Arizona in our, in our campus that we have in service dot m Douglas, so I travel a little bit all over the county 00:02:26.490 --> 00:02:29.160 And you do everything and it 00:02:30.660 --> 00:02:36.840 Seems like we're a team. We're a team of a wonderful is Jen services team, Pastor, I 00:02:37.920 --> 00:02:43.440 I can't think of anyone that works with students services that doesn't do everything. 00:02:45.630 --> 00:02:48.810 Y'all were a lot of hats, when I was reading your bio. 00:02:51.060 --> 00:02:53.340 Cheese. This is longer than mine. 00:02:56.820 --> 00:03:00.330 It was it was funny cuz I said yeah 50 250 words like here's a page. 00:03:01.800 --> 00:03:02.490 single spaced. 00:03:03.720 --> 00:03:04.560 interesting reading. 00:03:06.690 --> 00:03:11.640 I've done a little bit of everything and all higher education is obviously something I'm very passionate about, but 00:03:12.150 --> 00:03:29.460 I do have a little bit of an interdisciplinary background, I believe, you know, with some of the stuff that I've been doing restaurants restaurant hotel walk me through all that so restaurant restaurant hotel, and then you are managing Cullinan yes i health clinic. 00:03:30.630 --> 00:03:44.160 How, how does that happen right well and and i think here's the wonderful thing about having a degree, you know, having an education. I think that it opens up opportunities where you least likely are to find them. 00:03:45.420 --> 00:03:52.620 The most important thing, and this is what I tell my students all the time. The most important thing is that you are doing a job that you're passionate about and 00:03:53.460 --> 00:04:04.770 I'm a big believer and you know the universe has its way of making you connect with certain people in certain situations and and that really that has happened. 00:04:05.250 --> 00:04:14.760 With me through my trajectory in my professional and personal trajectory. So yeah. A little bit of everything. What I didn't mention and my bio, we can add we can add 00:04:15.300 --> 00:04:24.960 Is that for seven years. I was a stay at home mom, you know, which is in itself a profession. Absolutely. And and very, you know, 00:04:26.040 --> 00:04:35.250 I'm very lucky that I was able to do that. But I did stay home for seven years before I went back out into the into the workforce. So, yeah. 00:04:36.450 --> 00:04:37.800 But I mean, okay, so how 00:04:39.060 --> 00:04:44.010 I've walked me through a whole hotel hotel and restaurant managing a clinic. Right. 00:04:45.450 --> 00:04:51.300 stay at home mom for seven years and then student services. So no, actually it was 00:04:52.320 --> 00:05:02.130 Hotel, Restaurant Management the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and and then we decided to have a family has been a night. 00:05:03.600 --> 00:05:16.620 And then it wasn't my my profession. My career sort of took a backseat. And sometimes does absolutely and I, we were in the position where I could stay home. 00:05:17.340 --> 00:05:28.020 And and raise my my two daughters. So I did that for seven years and then then I decided, you know, it's time to get myself out by that time we hadn't moved back to Arizona. 00:05:28.620 --> 00:05:37.140 I lived here in service stuff for about three years and and then move back to Douglas finally made the full move back from where I was originally 00:05:37.800 --> 00:05:55.020 Born and raised and yeah and that's when I when I went back out into the, into, you know, just trying to get my feet wet. That's what we're kind of I've been gone for a while. So I wanted to see what kind of jobs are available now 10 years later, or whatever, you know, back in where I'm from. 00:05:56.280 --> 00:06:10.080 The clinic manager position was open and I was applying for different jobs. I think in the first two weeks I got three job offers that I went out and and and apply for and the clinic manager position was the one that really spoke to me. 00:06:11.460 --> 00:06:23.640 I've always been attracted to social justice type of jobs and you know diversity and inclusion and everything that I do customer service, along with that, obviously, but um 00:06:24.150 --> 00:06:35.790 I thought that the clinic management would would give me that layer that I felt I was missing in management, which is the healthcare and you know how instead of being in a proactive. 00:06:36.840 --> 00:06:48.300 Type of job where where it's hospitality or, you know, education, how about being in a job where it's not so positive. You know that you know that I really wanted to get that lens. 00:06:49.050 --> 00:06:57.360 So I did that I did that for three years and it was a very fulfilling position. I had the opportunity to work with Ryan White program. 00:06:57.930 --> 00:07:06.420 While I was there for those of you that are not familiar with that that is a program that was initiated by Ryan White, who was diagnosed with AIDS back in the 80s. 00:07:07.320 --> 00:07:19.770 So we have that program here in this region. And when I was managing the clinic and just trying, trying to figure out, how are we going to make this clinic, a better place. 00:07:20.370 --> 00:07:28.230 One of the things that I noticed was that our Ryan White patients the AIDS patients were completely being segregated. 00:07:28.740 --> 00:07:39.180 From the clinic hours right that they were not being seen as any normal patient will be seeing that there was specific hours for them to come in and I felt that was not right. 00:07:39.660 --> 00:07:48.090 So that is definitely one of the things that I changed along many other things. And I always like to share this little story about my my clinic. 00:07:50.190 --> 00:07:57.900 Experience, if you will, when I when I started working there. My first staff meeting with my team. I had about 25 people under me 00:07:58.590 --> 00:08:12.510 I asked them if you would compare this clinic to a car, what would it be and I got the responses that I got right and we're a beat up car, you know, an old you know beat up car a lemon 00:08:13.650 --> 00:08:21.030 And you know that really gives me a good indication of wow the staff here is not very 00:08:22.050 --> 00:08:35.880 Proud of the other workplace. So that gave me a baseline to say, okay, we need to work on this. We need to work on trust and helping each other and creating this environment where everybody's really proud of coming to work every day. 00:08:36.300 --> 00:08:47.850 So, three years later, I have my last staff meeting and I asked the same exact question to my staff, including the medical doctors, which by the way we're wouldn't participate in staff meetings. 00:08:48.360 --> 00:08:55.350 And then, you know, they later started participating. And they all said their answer was an old Cadillac. 00:08:55.890 --> 00:09:05.310 Be, you know, a very well taken. Old care old car, you know, so the perception. Yes, yes, we are in busy. That's where I managed the clinic Busby Arizona. 00:09:05.670 --> 00:09:21.780 Yes, we're in this area where maybe a lot of things are run down and we don't. It was a community health center. So there was, you know, not a lot of, you know, fancy stuff that we that we worked with, but everybody was proud of being there. So that was my journey with that right 00:09:22.860 --> 00:09:30.450 I just drove through twice. Actually, I love that. I love isn't that great. It's so beautiful. I know. Yeah. 00:09:31.890 --> 00:09:33.750 The you said something 00:09:35.430 --> 00:09:43.020 You wanted to try something that wasn't positive I wanted. Yeah, because the perception that fascinates me right the perception of 00:09:43.710 --> 00:09:52.380 I have that perception that that a clinic is where you go when you're sick and there's not a lot of proactive Ness happening. Right, right. 00:09:52.950 --> 00:10:03.180 So I wanted to use my my customer service and literally plug it in, into a clinic setting and we did because I worked with 00:10:03.750 --> 00:10:09.480 My staff and and one of my first trainings with them was, we're going to treat each patient here. 00:10:10.140 --> 00:10:16.680 Not by their illness, but by who they are as a human being and that they're here to, you know, to receive a service from us. 00:10:17.490 --> 00:10:31.620 Unfortunately, you know, the healthcare industry is that way. Well, you know, so yeah. That was interesting. I just never heard. I've never heard that anyone say well I chose this career path because I wanted something that wasn't positive 00:10:34.350 --> 00:10:35.970 Obviously, it's the UK and 00:10:38.640 --> 00:10:42.030 Because I felt like it was maybe somewhere where I can make a difference. 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:49.320 And really turn it into something positive, because I was trying to really push my boundaries, you know, 00:10:50.340 --> 00:11:01.500 Yeah, that sounds like you did. Yeah. Yeah. And interestingly enough now after I left and came to the US, which has been about five years now. 00:11:01.980 --> 00:11:06.240 I've been asked to participate and be part of their executive board now. 00:11:06.840 --> 00:11:21.570 So I now have the opportunity to provide a another lens right into the clinic scenario, by, by being an active board member there so I'm excited for that I'm going to be sworn in actually next month. So I'm excited. Yeah, that is very, very cool. Yeah, yeah. 00:11:24.480 --> 00:11:25.980 So there's there's a lot 00:11:28.350 --> 00:11:31.140 I feel there's a lot that people don't understand 00:11:32.220 --> 00:11:33.360 Necessarily I think about 00:11:34.740 --> 00:11:41.880 This area Douglas Busby see if he said places right right down by the border. Right. 00:11:44.190 --> 00:11:58.140 And you had mentioned in your bio that you, I forget exactly how you put it, if something like that you are binational you were raised by national right can you, I want you to talk about that. I'm from Ohio like I 00:11:59.580 --> 00:12:02.670 Was born and raised in the middle of Ohio. 00:12:04.050 --> 00:12:10.410 And so it was really interesting for me coming to Arizona, because I was immersed immediately in a culture that 00:12:11.580 --> 00:12:13.020 I just never experienced before. 00:12:14.040 --> 00:12:22.770 And even coming down here and going to Douglas or anything like that, even I've been in Dallas like twice. 00:12:24.030 --> 00:12:27.270 And I want to come more often. I just don't get a chance. But anyway, um, 00:12:29.550 --> 00:12:39.060 There is, I think there is a a life that is lived in an area like this that most people will never understand 00:12:41.430 --> 00:12:53.940 Yeah, absolutely. I, it has its own culture. I've heard officials, talk about the border as being its own country even hmm, right, because it's it's so unique. It's so different. It's 00:12:54.450 --> 00:13:08.460 It's a mix of of two countries. And let me tell you, it wasn't easy for me to be able to write it down or to talk comfortably about being a binational didn't come naturally to me it was 00:13:09.750 --> 00:13:24.000 It was really feeling comfortable in my own skin feeling comfortable and and and having these kind of conversations and and not feel bad because, you know, I was not necessarily 100% from from one specific area. 00:13:25.470 --> 00:13:41.280 So when when I was growing up, you know, having houses on both sides of the border families on both sides of the border. I even had school on both sides of the border. Right. And that was, that's an interesting story right there in itself because one Kendra first and second grade. 00:13:42.420 --> 00:13:48.360 I had my American education and everything was great, you know, I was in a role, I was second grader. I'm from 00:13:48.930 --> 00:14:01.290 You know, and then my mom decides, wait a minute. You're forgetting Spanish what's wrong with this picture. You can't forget Spanish. So every time she talked to us in Spanish, we would answer to her in English. So she 00:14:02.400 --> 00:14:03.000 Asked me my wife. 00:14:04.350 --> 00:14:14.310 So of course, back then it was just something that I did not appreciate of my mom doing but now I believe is probably one of the smartest and most courageous things that she did for us. 00:14:14.670 --> 00:14:25.410 She pulled us out of the American school and place doesn't a Mexican school. So my third grade. Yeah. Just plop just you're done with second grade here. We're going to put you in a Mexican school and I p 00:14:26.040 --> 00:14:34.560 I did not speak Spanish, all that well leave it or not. And in the culture, the, the education, culture is much different. 00:14:35.250 --> 00:14:44.310 So, but that was the smartest things that she could have done the smartest thing because when she WE WE WERE IMMERSED completely in the in the Mexican education system. 00:14:44.880 --> 00:15:01.890 System and the in language. So when we were ready to come back. By the way, Mexico has a very advanced education system. So when I did my third grade, and Mexico. I literally skipped fourth grade because I was so advanced in my education that I went straight to 00:15:04.680 --> 00:15:23.010 Maybe something not many people know right right and and and that identity crisis. I think for me was, was something that I didn't really understand it really did see it as a crisis with my Mexican family on the Mexican side. I was considered lighting. 00:15:24.060 --> 00:15:33.720 Not getting you know she speaks English. She goes to school in the US. She's like getting, you know, but when I would come to my visit my family on the US side. I was considered let me he can 00:15:35.010 --> 00:15:46.980 See what else, and neither both or neither. Or like we say in Spanish, neither Kenya, neither here nor there. Right, right. So we had to leave to realize, Ryan. 00:15:47.880 --> 00:15:58.950 The importance of being raised the way I was. I had to leave and be emerged in the melting pot that Las Vegas is, if you will, to be able to understand. Wow. That was such a unique way of being raised 00:16:00.210 --> 00:16:15.960 And it allowed me to be able to walk into any situation be comfortable in any situation have conversations with different walks of people, you know, life and because I had this exposure to two countries all of my life. 00:16:17.220 --> 00:16:29.670 And I, I couldn't give you any any details or authors or citations or anything, but I mean there's a lot of research out there that you know growing up bilingual is a huge advantage. 00:16:33.390 --> 00:16:39.750 So, um, yeah. Dr Tash is wonderful. Hi, Dr. Thank you, Dr Tash 00:16:41.640 --> 00:16:44.730 One of our colleagues, just look out the window. 00:16:47.310 --> 00:16:48.240 So yeah, I mean that's 00:16:49.350 --> 00:16:55.980 I, I learned Spanish fourth and fifth grade, okay and then never again. 00:16:57.420 --> 00:17:06.630 We did this thing called enrichment simply just calling like gifted and talented, or that kind of thing where you send them off for a day to a different school and they do weird stuff, you know, 00:17:07.710 --> 00:17:10.560 And we learn Spanish there and 00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:13.410 Then 00:17:14.700 --> 00:17:23.280 Didn't have to, as far as I remember, did not to learn language again until high school. At which point, you're kind of past that sweet spot, you know, 00:17:25.020 --> 00:17:32.070 I want to say it's like 11 to 13 like once you're past that you have a much harder time right you know 00:17:33.960 --> 00:17:37.860 And I wish that I had. I really do. It seems like you understand it well. 00:17:39.420 --> 00:17:44.550 I'd context is a lot of, okay, I do like your T shirt though. Oh, thank you. So 00:17:45.630 --> 00:17:53.910 It's a it was a first star shirt. So can I read it for the audience. Absolutely. Now the salad. We can pina colada. But Sangha Estella more 00:17:55.980 --> 00:17:56.910 Around coming 00:17:58.020 --> 00:18:02.520 Them were a key Tupac for us. I love it. 00:18:04.440 --> 00:18:19.800 I won't work will get a selfie. So they'll put a picture shirt on, on the site. But I know I sound the thrift store because my wife and I like to go through everything just because you can find this really weird awesome stuff that night I had no idea what this said 00:18:20.940 --> 00:18:22.830 Like you know now, when 00:18:25.590 --> 00:18:31.020 I couldn't tell you what it says. But I knew that I was like this is okay. Right. And she's like gets wine bar. Okay. 00:18:32.070 --> 00:18:39.090 Something about drinking. It was like, Oh yeah, that's fine. Yeah but Chang asylum, where is my favorite part there. We party until we die. Yeah, and 00:18:39.720 --> 00:18:52.620 You'll see in the picture. If you look in the show notes. It's, it's to dancing skeletons. Yeah. Yeah. Very appropriate for this time of year for Mexico. Yeah. All Souls. It's coming up. Do you ever go up to Tucson for that. No. 00:18:54.090 --> 00:19:06.600 I mean is that really, I spent my time in Mexico for that it's it's a really nice time with family and especially with our rituals that we have 00:19:07.380 --> 00:19:15.690 We visit the cemetery. You know, my husband has this tradition of visiting his, his father's tomb and drinking a pick up there with his dad. 00:19:16.260 --> 00:19:26.820 You know, drinking a beer. So, you know, we have our little traditions that we follow every year. So yeah, well, if you do decide if you do decide that you're not busy on 00:19:28.020 --> 00:19:32.160 Saturday after the fourth this year. Okay, I think. 00:19:33.600 --> 00:19:34.770 This is for everybody, not just you. 00:19:37.140 --> 00:19:38.460 There is a 00:19:40.140 --> 00:19:53.640 Name know what you'd call it an event that happens every year. I mean, he did you know that it's all souls precession. You've heard. So I've heard of it. Yes, it's, it's essentially it's it was started. I think in the 90s. So it's relatively recent 00:19:54.900 --> 00:19:56.460 And it's a parade. 00:19:57.630 --> 00:20:07.110 This year it's it's by the St. Augustine Mercado area and it goes for about a mile, I could be totally wrong. I'd be like, three. I have no idea, but um 00:20:08.250 --> 00:20:11.460 It's a combination of all sorts of different things. It's 00:20:13.050 --> 00:20:21.330 Day of the Dead. It's not Halloween. I actually get really, really annoyed when I go when I go to all souls and see people in like Halloween costumes. 00:20:21.660 --> 00:20:36.780 When it's not what this is about. Right. It's about remembrance and then paying respect to the people that were in your life and are not anymore. So, and I'm actually friends with a lot of the people that they kind of put it on used to work with. 00:20:38.280 --> 00:20:38.670 With 00:20:40.410 --> 00:20:41.310 What was she the 00:20:42.540 --> 00:20:52.860 volunteer coordinator. She used to be, because the entire thing is volunteer run, they get no city money no state money, nothing like that. So it's all just volunteers and people put in what they want and 00:20:54.690 --> 00:21:08.130 The most elaborate costumes and there's always a theme as just beautiful. And they marched through and they have all different kinds of groups march with them and walk through the, through the streets and the 00:21:09.600 --> 00:21:12.390 I think they're the ambassador's I think they're called 00:21:13.440 --> 00:21:14.370 Melanie if I got that wrong. 00:21:16.110 --> 00:21:24.150 Because there's like there's there's ambassadors and then there's attendance and they're all like have different names for the different roles they play and 00:21:24.870 --> 00:21:28.590 Some of them, I think. I think it's the ambassadors that they go out into the crowd. 00:21:29.070 --> 00:21:33.840 And give you a little piece of paper and you write down the name of someone that you lost and you give it back to them. 00:21:34.320 --> 00:21:45.300 And then at the end of the night when they get to the they have this shiny metal thing they call the urn. It's like maybe seven feet across like this giant metal thing cage. 00:21:46.440 --> 00:21:55.980 And one person drags it through the streets, the entire way. And when they get to the end, the ambassador's put all those little pieces of paper inside the earth, and then they set it on fire. 00:21:56.940 --> 00:22:05.700 And it says meal symbolizes releasing and letting go and whatnot. But then they also have like flame Chan, which is still walking 00:22:06.450 --> 00:22:11.220 fire breathing kind of true. You know, they have them doing all sorts of acrobatics and stuff like that. 00:22:11.670 --> 00:22:18.120 And this year, they're actually going to have shisha playing at the finale. So when everybody gets to the end. It's like a concert kind of nice. 00:22:18.510 --> 00:22:25.020 So it is a noun time and, you know, you don't have to do it. You don't have to walk, you can just sit on the side lines and see us on the side of the road and just 00:22:25.560 --> 00:22:34.080 Watch. Everybody go by. It's a lot of people go early and take their camera and just walk around and take pictures because everybody does all the makeup and everything. 00:22:35.490 --> 00:22:36.900 In it, like when I moved here. 00:22:37.920 --> 00:22:44.070 Never heard of this thing, right. Why would you, it's a very Tucson. Like hyper Tucson thing, I think, 00:22:46.320 --> 00:22:49.740 So when I was when I got involved with it. I was like, This is the coolest 00:22:51.990 --> 00:22:55.500 Why did I not know about this when I got here, but I'm looking at Melanie 00:22:56.610 --> 00:22:59.580 Is like when she was the volunteer coordinator, she she 00:23:02.670 --> 00:23:04.710 She get everybody involved as much as she could. 00:23:08.730 --> 00:23:10.200 We got to there because we're talking about 00:23:12.960 --> 00:23:13.260 Sure. 00:23:14.520 --> 00:23:14.700 Sure. 00:23:16.500 --> 00:23:24.210 But yeah, it. So if you're free on the fourth everybody if you're free on the fourth which when this goes out. It'll be next Thursday. So the 00:23:27.060 --> 00:23:28.380 Bed with math, the 25th. 00:23:29.610 --> 00:23:38.910 So we can have. So if you're listening to this on the day it came out a week and a half August in some know San Agustin area in Tucson, you really should cover it. 00:23:39.600 --> 00:23:47.610 If not, this year. The next year, for sure. Like, you gotta, you gotta see it at least once. I know people that have lived in Tucson for their entire lives. I've never been to all souls. I'm like, wow. 00:23:48.030 --> 00:23:57.750 That's like living in in New York and not having ever gone to Times Square for for New Years. Yeah. Or like living and living in New Orleans and having never done a Mardi Gras like 00:23:58.560 --> 00:24:07.950 It sounds like it's a signature event for Tucson, very much. It's like, it's like hyper Tucson. This woman that's that's coming from an outsider. I've only lived in Tucson for 00:24:09.240 --> 00:24:20.940 Six years so you know it feels like that, but maybe it's just because I have been very immersed in it, just because of the people that I know you know like to take walks fundraisers and stuff. 00:24:22.320 --> 00:24:33.240 So it's not just something that I found out about it. Well, we can make a plan all go next year to that one. And then you'll come to a p for to Mexico for the 00:24:33.930 --> 00:24:45.390 The actual Day of the Dead deal. Alright do absolutely do that. I've always wanted to go yeah and it's it's a bit, and here I am shaming people for not doing something because they're in proximity 00:24:47.220 --> 00:24:50.250 Like you live in Arizona. You can go yeah 00:24:52.140 --> 00:24:52.320 But 00:24:54.300 --> 00:24:56.760 Why are we going with that. Oh, OK. So 00:24:58.530 --> 00:25:01.110 I was talking to you about that kind of 00:25:02.160 --> 00:25:03.810 Having one foot in two different places. 00:25:05.040 --> 00:25:09.090 And like to say one heart, one hard to border and went to 00:25:10.260 --> 00:25:11.550 Somebody I'm sure there's a politically. 00:25:13.350 --> 00:25:20.490 Because we, a lot of our students are that way. I feel and act like I said don't have to feel. I know. 00:25:24.480 --> 00:25:26.070 And the 00:25:28.290 --> 00:25:29.490 There is a certain 00:25:30.660 --> 00:25:33.360 I don't wanna say difficulty because it's not difficult. There's a certain 00:25:38.640 --> 00:25:41.940 They're different in a way that's very good, very positive. 00:25:43.110 --> 00:25:43.680 And 00:25:45.840 --> 00:25:52.710 I was, I don't want to say, but I'm gonna say, and I feel like the students in that in those situations from that kind of background. 00:25:53.610 --> 00:26:07.830 You know, bring so much to the table, but that there's a very specific set of support that they may need that other students might not. Yeah. And I know that you do some stuff with, especially in Douglas 00:26:10.530 --> 00:26:11.520 Connection. 00:26:13.650 --> 00:26:17.760 And I don't want to say because I'm going to butcher the pronunciation because my Spanish is terrible. 00:26:18.960 --> 00:26:32.610 talk and talk about about goes a little bit. You mentioned three yes to me. So, because I am familiar with being in the binational region right 00:26:33.420 --> 00:26:38.850 And given the opportunity of working in a higher education setting my first 00:26:39.630 --> 00:26:48.900 Semester working for the U of h i did start seeing some disconnects, if you will, let's call it that, you know, just a couple of disconnects, and not because they were on purpose. 00:26:49.380 --> 00:27:05.400 It was just a lack of understanding and maybe a lack of cultural competency as well when it comes to approaching the students or maybe providing some of the services that that those students need. So, one of them was definitely the financial 00:27:06.720 --> 00:27:22.740 Part of it with with the scholarship that we created that that first time around educational needles is is the one that's the one I wasn't gonna try to say education. Well, you could have said a half of it education or money. Those i don't i don't like leaving things unfinished. 00:27:24.120 --> 00:27:34.050 So, and that happened because of partnership that we created with the city with Mexico City with the Mexican Council it there. There was some funds that were 00:27:34.860 --> 00:27:43.650 And, you know, even that just how that all came together. Ryan that. I mean, that really is like probably a podcast and it's on because it's so beautiful. How 00:27:44.280 --> 00:27:56.640 Everything just came together. There was a need that was expressed for me to the community and then everything just started coming together in a beautiful, beautiful way. 00:27:57.210 --> 00:28:08.430 To the point of having education only those now have given we have given more than 170,000 $117,000 to very deserving 00:28:09.150 --> 00:28:14.580 Young. Well, no, you know what, we have non traditional students. So let me say very 00:28:15.330 --> 00:28:29.910 It students that really needed the money and that we hadn't Douglas and that unfortunately some of those funds were not necessarily funneling all the way down in that region. So, and not only that, I think the scholarship now has created a, a sense of 00:28:31.140 --> 00:28:44.190 pride that the community comes together and we all give to the to the education and any of those fund and I'm talking about not just myself or the same students that now have graduated 00:28:44.640 --> 00:28:51.900 And are giving back to the fund, but the community members and community leaders, we have the city of Douglas, who gives to that scholarship and 00:28:52.920 --> 00:29:00.510 I mean, it's just wonderful to see that so yeah hopefully that could continue for a very long time. And then along along with that. 00:29:00.990 --> 00:29:19.290 I also did see a couple of disconnects happening with our education system, maybe on the border, you know, our, our local district. There was a lot of things that I was not feeling that we're necessarily capturing the essence of who our students are and and and really 00:29:20.430 --> 00:29:27.930 taking it to the next level. It's almost like this this this topic is a little bit hard to talk about because it's almost like 00:29:28.440 --> 00:29:32.550 People think that being born and raised on the borders of deficiency. Right. 00:29:32.850 --> 00:29:43.770 Right. That's what I was trying to be very, very careful with my language, but it, but I don't want it to feel like that because they think while. Are you from Mexico or from the US. Oh, your first language is Spanish so you don't really understand English 00:29:44.760 --> 00:29:55.380 So that deficiency mentality really carries across even the school district and, you know, a lot of times that teachers or even the same parents 00:29:55.680 --> 00:30:03.960 A lot of times, you know, all my, my son or daughter, you know, they're not that smart. You know, we're really they are super smart. It's just that they're not smart in that second language. 00:30:04.770 --> 00:30:19.110 Right. And that happens, we think in language we quality of our thoughts can only be as good as the quality of our life. Absolutely. Absolutely. So, what what we did to continue our conversation and also to continue our partnership with the Mexican Council it we 00:30:20.340 --> 00:30:23.520 Applied for a program called full Betsy. 00:30:24.870 --> 00:30:34.440 Betsy scholars overseas dollars and that is a part of the 100,000 strong in the Americas that former President Obama and 00:30:35.160 --> 00:30:47.490 Former and we keeping me up the president from Mexico put together and said we need to make sure that we are sending scholars to the US. And we're also sending scholars to Mexico. And we do this exchange. 00:30:48.090 --> 00:31:03.660 So we did that. We apply for it, where we were accepted and in the last three years, we've brought nine scholars that really have done an amazing research as to what education on the border looks like and 00:31:04.770 --> 00:31:12.270 A lot of a lot of stuff, a lot of the research, obviously, a lot of the the themes, the recurring things. I think we're very obvious. 00:31:12.990 --> 00:31:28.110 But there was some really, you know, uncomfortable, you know, themes that everybody was really taken aback and and I believe that's where higher education. That's where education obviously comes in and being able to expose 00:31:28.920 --> 00:31:37.080 You know, these kind of things, especially if they're reoccurring and hopefully proactively do something about them so that that was a full VSE 00:31:38.190 --> 00:31:54.270 Project that that I was able to participate and coordinate. And then the last one and the one that is still currently running right now is the next one is project, which is a project that I embarked on with knuckle wellness clinic and not go so nada. 00:31:55.770 --> 00:32:05.520 I do have some background and working with parents and engagement parent engagement. I did some classes for the for the school district. 00:32:06.540 --> 00:32:10.110 I'm a certified parent trainer so 00:32:11.130 --> 00:32:19.050 What we did with that is naka wellness knew that I existed, somehow, you know, it's a small area here. So, 00:32:20.370 --> 00:32:24.150 The word got out that I was out there and I was doing this type of engagement. 00:32:24.630 --> 00:32:42.600 Activities with the parents and Douglas so they reached out to me and said, Would you be interested in doing the same thing for knuckle. Well, I had always had a dream to create a curriculum of parent engagement unique to the area that I'm serving. I have been certified as a parent trainer. 00:32:43.800 --> 00:32:51.930 But we were always using curriculum that was designed by someone else. Right. So I told Naga wellness Tom Carlson 00:32:52.710 --> 00:33:01.920 Who was a director, I said if if we do this. Is it okay if I develop the curriculum for it because I want it to be as holistic and to the ground as possible. 00:33:02.400 --> 00:33:07.470 For your parents and knuckle and and we did that. So we wrote a grant, we received it. 00:33:08.460 --> 00:33:17.700 Part of the grant was also to help them build a clinic, a new clinic and knock also note, our, you know, they do blood pressure checks and they do. 00:33:18.090 --> 00:33:26.040 Physical therapy and all of these services that unfortunately a lot of individuals and also not I wouldn't be able to to have access to 00:33:26.790 --> 00:33:37.380 And so we did that. And then I developed the curriculum in eight weeks and how I develop the curriculum is I did have a little bit of a structure and of course background but 00:33:38.100 --> 00:33:47.190 So the first week I would go in and present like an introduction and based on what parents were the feedback I was getting the conversations that were happening. 00:33:47.430 --> 00:34:00.540 I would literally turn around and then create the curriculum for the for the module for the following week and then based on how we that went, I would create the curriculum for the module for the following week, and it went on and on until we were left with 00:34:01.800 --> 00:34:04.770 An eight module curriculum that starts from 00:34:06.540 --> 00:34:13.680 Understanding what your roots are and how important they are as as a human being to be connected to your roots. 00:34:14.220 --> 00:34:22.590 All the way to the final one, which is graduation and parents have an opportunity to present vision boards of what they want for them and their families. 00:34:23.130 --> 00:34:30.330 The uniqueness of that project. And what really warms my heart about it is that the parents that we are presenting this curriculum to 00:34:30.810 --> 00:34:46.320 These trainings to our parents that can't cross to the US side but have children that are in school on the US side guys gonna be hard. So these parents never have an opportunity to meet the teachers of their kits. 00:34:47.400 --> 00:34:53.430 Many of those parents have had kids that have graduated from high school and couldn't attend their high school graduation. 00:34:54.360 --> 00:35:04.530 So to be able to develop something like this and then also to add a component of of education interactive television. 00:35:05.160 --> 00:35:16.530 To it, where we what the grant. We were able to purchase TVs and ITV systems. So now the those individuals that can cross to the US side are able to connect 00:35:17.130 --> 00:35:22.950 With teachers on the US side via interactive TV and have parent teacher conferences. 00:35:23.400 --> 00:35:31.530 And support each other. And it really have, you know, the important conversations that we all want as parents with our right with our 00:35:32.070 --> 00:35:40.800 The teachers of our kids. So yeah, so that's that's a really good project. I love it. I unfortunately cannot be as involved anymore. 00:35:41.640 --> 00:35:57.210 Because I'm so busy all the time, but definitely the component of it is that is a trainer of trainers. So I go in. I train parents and then they take it and make it their own. And then they continue and it's been going on for two years now. That's amazing. Well, 00:35:59.850 --> 00:36:02.100 It's a process to like that. 00:36:03.600 --> 00:36:08.580 From start to finish. That's amazing. Yeah, yeah, that's it's something that I think about a lot. 00:36:09.630 --> 00:36:22.830 This kind of distributed community. You know that that is another thing that I think a lot of a lot of people in different areas or areas that are not like this. They don't understand that. I mean, they can understand distance 00:36:23.880 --> 00:36:34.020 But I'm not sure that they can truly wrap their heads around what that means, like those parents and what they have to deal with. Yeah, that's not just a wall. 00:36:35.580 --> 00:36:48.120 That's the entire force of the United States government preventing you from going to a teacher parent teacher conference, right, it's a it's an emotional. It's a psychological while 00:36:48.750 --> 00:36:54.750 I mean, it really is all of that. It's not just physical. So what we wanted to do with that program is no walls exist. 00:36:55.920 --> 00:37:02.220 This is it like it's, there's no way we could definitely use technology to be able to to break down those walls. 00:37:03.600 --> 00:37:08.790 And how about connection that's going to be honest. That's the knuckle project. Oh, I'm sorry. 00:37:10.170 --> 00:37:13.380 I was I put the checkmark next to the wrong thing on a piece of paper. 00:37:17.430 --> 00:37:20.190 How can people get involved if they want to. 00:37:21.630 --> 00:37:37.020 So people. Well, and I think it all goes down to just being present being present, understanding that we all come from different types of lenses. The, the border really has a multi layered 00:37:38.190 --> 00:37:47.160 feel to it. It's not black and white. It's probably the greatest the greatest and most colorful at the same time, please, that you'll find it's true. 00:37:48.000 --> 00:37:59.760 So it's it's understanding really that a lot of our students, especially in this region are exposed to two countries two ways of thinking 00:38:00.390 --> 00:38:11.580 To governments, you know, to political entities, you know, to social entities and all of that. But at the same time, even though they're exposed to them. It's still sort of blends together. 00:38:12.600 --> 00:38:20.970 And that there comes our Spanglish or a cold switching or, you know, today I could be listening to the Beatles and tomorrow I'll be listening to bedroom fun thing on my radio 00:38:22.290 --> 00:38:33.990 Because of that, you know, because, so if I think with this and everything else just understanding each other, knowing that we all come from different places from different mindsets. 00:38:35.520 --> 00:38:46.230 And and really be involved by being present and and if if there's people out there that are that are hearing us and 00:38:46.710 --> 00:38:54.720 Would not would like to know more about the education and evil scholarship fund or know more about the research that that the Fulbright scholars 00:38:55.380 --> 00:39:05.880 Did with education on the border or even know about how to contribute to the knuckle going Xers project and they even see it for yourself. You know how it works and how 00:39:06.660 --> 00:39:10.530 Beautiful those parents are and how they're connecting with the teachers now. 00:39:11.010 --> 00:39:16.500 That's way being present visiting all of these areas visiting Douglas, you know I'm always 00:39:16.800 --> 00:39:26.940 on the bandwagon. Like I feel like I'm always on a campaign. What are you coming to Douglas come to die with I'll take you, you know, somewhere articulate to even eating is such an experience and Douglas 00:39:27.360 --> 00:39:38.130 And why not, I'll take you over to Mexico as well so that you can see it and you know live it for yourself. But there is, I understand some barriers that that people might have, you know, 00:39:39.390 --> 00:39:56.040 I think more most geographically is what we're, you know what, we look at geographic barriers, but there shouldn't be any mental barriers towards this it you should be open about how the border is a big contributor to 00:39:57.090 --> 00:40:14.850 The economic power in the US and I mean I'm talking about billions of dollars that you know go through the border every single day and not just Douglas, obviously. But, you know, our beautiful border know Addison and you might and all those area so 00:40:16.440 --> 00:40:16.650 Yeah. 00:40:18.330 --> 00:40:19.200 It's an important area. 00:40:20.640 --> 00:40:25.920 Figures, the one time this fall that I drive to Douglas. You're not even 00:40:27.990 --> 00:40:33.120 That's gonna follow me forever. That's gonna hop me forever. I'll let you live it down Don't worry. 00:40:35.460 --> 00:40:39.660 So just I want to close out here, I'm just 00:40:41.580 --> 00:40:54.810 The student services that you provide specifically in Douglas and and like this goes back to what I was saying about the the distributed community like 00:40:55.740 --> 00:41:08.760 That's so hard, because you think of at least I do. Or had you think of student services as a place you know like a building on campus that you go, you go to. And that's it, but 00:41:10.110 --> 00:41:12.930 I think that also it presumes that everybody is there. 00:41:14.670 --> 00:41:21.510 And not completely just sprinkled across thousands upon thousands of square miles. Right, I'm that 00:41:22.830 --> 00:41:43.740 Fascinating, that it's, it seems so difficult to make those connections. I think in our case student services as a person. Right. It's not a physical location student services is a person, somebody who you will get on the phone, their email and a physical location. 00:41:45.810 --> 00:41:46.740 I know I'm always 00:41:47.850 --> 00:41:49.860 You know, cautious about you know this, but 00:41:50.940 --> 00:41:52.890 I give out my personal cell phone number. 00:41:54.300 --> 00:41:59.190 I have to react to if I'm, if I'm driving a VM, you know, are 00:42:00.210 --> 00:42:11.340 Like you say here coaches County, just in itself is so you know wide and you know there's miles and miles you know that that I go on for coaches County. So to be 00:42:12.150 --> 00:42:21.030 Going back to what can we do, well we do exactly that. We are present with our students. And we really take care of them in a very holistic manner. 00:42:21.810 --> 00:42:31.350 From beginning to end. And I think the education, you know, scholarship is is a very good example of that, and were able to see the results of that because 00:42:32.160 --> 00:42:43.890 From beginning to end the students not only have the money, but also have, you know, the tools to be able to to be successful when they graduate and 100% of them have graduated 00:42:44.850 --> 00:42:57.000 Of every single student that has received that scholarship. They have graduated and that means a lot to me, that means that for them that somebody believes in them that whole community believes in them. 00:42:58.110 --> 00:43:08.220 Is probably the power that they need, right, to be able to complete and that's a heck of a statistic. Yeah, that is a progressive. Yeah, I'm not sure there's any 00:43:08.640 --> 00:43:18.780 I can at least offhand. I can't think of any group or collection or whatever, whatever word you want to use for it that can boast that kind of that kind of right that's like unheard of. Yeah. 00:43:19.890 --> 00:43:37.170 Yeah 100% of them all thanks to you, well thanks to thanks to the team. Yeah, absolutely. And the cars and the community and and thanks to the students also because, I mean, obviously, we wouldn't be here if it wouldn't be for them right there are bred our bread and butter. 00:43:39.210 --> 00:43:44.100 We would not have bread or butter. If it weren't for this, right. So now we know now with 00:43:45.030 --> 00:43:53.520 University of Arizona being an HSI Hispanic serving institution and having that designation. Now, as you have a whole the whole thing right 00:43:54.030 --> 00:44:06.900 Has had it for a long years 13 years now. We have more of an opportunity to be able to, I think, to attend more to the needs of this region because now the conversation as much broader 00:44:08.010 --> 00:44:10.890 More people involved in well. 00:44:12.090 --> 00:44:16.050 I know when I when I heard that HSI was being I don't know what's the word 00:44:20.490 --> 00:44:21.000 Awarded 00:44:22.740 --> 00:44:24.690 When it was being awarded to the university as a whole. 00:44:25.860 --> 00:44:33.360 I've kind of split, because part of me. We have a lot of me was like, That's great. That's fantastic. You know, if we have that designation, we should get it. The other half is like 00:44:34.440 --> 00:44:35.760 Well, we've been there and done that. 00:44:37.110 --> 00:44:42.360 Is being being petty. I know, I know, talk to us. We've been doing this for ages. 00:44:43.830 --> 00:44:58.920 And I still say that, actually, when I go to HSA shout out to Marla if you're hearing this, because I always tell her, like, Wait a minute, you have a self has been doing this for a long time, but it's especially important for us in this region. I mean with Douglas being 86% Hispanic 00:45:00.060 --> 00:45:10.890 And only I think 18% of our Douglas population has a higher education degree. Right. The Conversation, Conversation is so important in that region. 00:45:11.460 --> 00:45:23.250 because education is literally economic power. Yeah. So, and we need that, especially in the Douglas area. Well, we need that. Period. Period. Yeah. Yes. 00:45:25.530 --> 00:45:34.860 So yeah, good stuff. Good stuff. I wanted to learn more about these things for quite some time. So this was, I think this was a great opportunity for me to 00:45:37.140 --> 00:45:46.080 Broadcast recording aside, I want to learn more about myself. So, so thank you Melissa for taking time out and being flexible for me making my stupid driving mistake. 00:45:48.030 --> 00:45:56.190 And so if I will put links to all of these things in the show notes, except for your phone number. Okay. 00:45:57.570 --> 00:46:05.040 So if anybody wants to learn more about them. Check out the show notes. And if you want to see my shirt. Also check out, please do. It's a kosher. 00:46:06.360 --> 00:46:21.240 Thank you for inviting me. Ryan, this was this was nice. It was a good experience. So yeah, it's always fun there. I haven't talked to anybody yet that was like this was terrified. I never want to do this again. Typically, it's like, when can we do this again?