The conference, Mujeres con Valor, Mujeres Exitosas or Courageous Women, Successful Women, was celebrated as a collaborative effort between TSC, the Mexican Consulate in Brownsville and El Nuevo Heraldo Newspaper
Accompanying Dr. Tercero as distinguished speakers were U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Harlingen Field Office Director Norma Limon and the Director of Spanish Publications of El Nuevo Heraldo and El Extra, Zulema Baez.
Their stories resonated with the message that all women, in any position in life, have the ability to achieve their goals with perseverance and determination.
“You have to value yourself, it takes effort to do everything,” said Baez. “We have to be equal, we have to fight for our dreams, and we have to fight for our rights as women.”
In each of the presentations, education was noted as the monumental event that catapulted the speakers’ respective careers.
“It’s the key to opening up doors to many women, and not only women, but young people and adults,” said Dr. Tercero. “Once you have that knowledge, no one can take that away from you and it’s extremely powerful. Go beyond high school, get a higher education, because that’s what’s going to help you succeed in life.”
At the conclusion of the conference, the crowd gave a standing ovation to the trio of speakers as chants of “Viva las Mujeres” echoed through the plaza.
“It’s a privilege and an honor to be invited to speak to this wonderful group,” said Limon. “I don’t really think about my story, about the trajectory I had to travel to get here, but it’s always encouraging to be able to pass that on and encourage other women, other people.”
About Texas Southmost College
Originally established in 1926, Texas Southmost College currently offers the first two years toward a bachelor’s degree, along with career and technical education leading to certificates and associate degrees, college preparatory studies to prepare students for college-level work, workforce training, and continuing education. Recently selected as a Bright Spot by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, TSC offers 53 programs of study leading to an associate degree or certificate.