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Dr. Alejos Salazar Jr., superintendent of Lasara Independent School District and a proud graduate of Texas Southmost College (TSC), took a non-traditional path to educational leadership.<\/span><\/p>\n Salazar, a 1989 graduate of La Villa High School, was already a husband and father when he began taking evening classes at TSC in the mid-1990s. During this period, he worked as a teacher\u2019s aide and bus driver for the South Texas Independent School District, carefully balancing his professional responsibilities, education, and family life.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBeing 24 years old and already having children, I wanted to be able to provide more for them,\u201d Salazar said. \u201cTo be able to give them the life I thought they deserved\u2014and that my wife and I deserved. As tired as I was, there was always the motivation to continue to move forward.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Many of Salazar\u2019s classmates in his evening classes also worked during the day<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t feel out of place at all,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen you have a certain level of comfort, it allows you to work that much better. That made a huge difference. I tell people, UTB\/TSC (University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College) was the place for me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Salazar graduated from UTB\/TSC in 1998 with a bachelor\u2019s degree in government and political science. He recalls that some of his most meaningful learning experiences took place outside the classroom. As a student, he was invited to dinners hosted by political science professor Dr. Norman Binder, where he had the opportunity to interact with local politicians.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know if I would have been able to do that at 18 or 19,\u201d said Salazar. \u201cAt 25 to 28, it was easy for him to entrust me with a lot of things and to learn how to mingle and communicate. That was an education. I don\u2019t think I would have that experience anywhere else if not for Texas Southmost College.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n After graduating from UTB\/TSC, Salazar was accepted into several law schools. At the time, he was the father of three children and chose to forgo law school to remain close to home and help raise his family. Instead, he took a position as a permanent substitute teacher. In 1999, he secured his first full teaching role with the Santa Maria Independent School District.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMy dad was a school administrator,\u201d Salazar said. \u201cHe had always instilled in my sisters and me that if you\u2019re going to do something, try to be the best or rise to the top in whatever you\u2019re doing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Motivated by his father\u2019s philosophy, Salazar continued advancing his education while building his career. He earned a master\u2019s degree and moved into administrative roles across several school districts in the Rio Grande Valley. Committed to lifelong learning, he later enrolled in the Cooperative Superintendency Program at the University of Texas, ultimately earning his doctoral degree in 2019.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cTo be able to go to what at one point is the number one program in the nation, I\u2019m very proud of that,\u201d Salazar said emotionally. \u201cIt makes my heart happy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The Lasara ISD superintendent takes pride in providing students with the opportunity to earn a college degree.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat happens when you\u2019re doing physical labor and your body can no longer do that?\u201d said Salazar. \u201cIt\u2019s of utmost importance that our kids have the educational background and cognitive ability to say, at that point, \u2018I\u2019m transitioning to management or the executive office. I\u2019ve done the work, but I\u2019m also capable of leading the work.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Salazar also emphasizes the need to advocate for his students beyond the classroom. In 2025, he spoke to policymakers at the Capitol, highlighting urgent concerns about school funding and how it affects educational equity across communities.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s important to me,\u201d Salazar said. \u201cWhether you agree or disagree with school vouchers, the fact is: Are you willing to make the effort and go to speak on behalf of those who you represent? Are you willing to go and defend, or be the voice, for those who do not have a voice?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Salazar remembers how his time as a student at TSC helped prepare him to become an educational leader.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI found that voice at TSC,\u201d he said. \u201cDr. Binder and Dr. John Robey allowed us to go to meet with all those politicians and people, and for them to sit and value what we had to say. To this day, I use that experience to be able to advocate for my kids and my community.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dr. Alejos Salazar Jr., superintendent of Lasara Independent School District and a proud graduate of Texas Southmost College (TSC), took a non-traditional path to educational leadership. 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