HANDS ON INTERN: Oscar Garcia

Whether he is riding his bike to school, organizing beach cleanups or replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, Oscar Garcia knows he is making a difference every day.
The senior majoring in environmental sciences at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College has made advocating for environmental protection a lifetime goal. This summer, he took the first big step as an intern with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s Region 15 Office in Harlingen.
“I have my steel toe boots, my uniform vest, my safety goggles, and my hard hat,” Garcia said. When the department receives a complaint, he accompanies environmental investigators to inspect the place for any violations to Environmental Protection Agency regulations.
His internship began in June. He answers phones, updates documents and attends training sessions at the TCEQ office. Shadowing the investigators these past few weeks has provided him with the hands-on learning experience of a possible career option.
“Given the time of year, many of the presentations are related to hurricane preparations and emergency response,” Garcia said. “Participating with the Texas General Land Office, TCEQ, and EPA employees as they worked together on Category 5 hurricane responses has been very exciting.”
Garcia’s interest in environmental science was sparked by a conversation with Jude Benavidez, an assistant professor of hydrology in the College of Science, Mathematics and Technology at UTB/TSC.
Garcia said Benavidez encouraged him to take an introductory course in environmental sciences. The class convinced Garcia, a computer science major at the time, to change his chosen career.
“Oscar is the type of student we strive to recruit into our growing environmental sciences program,” Benavidez said. “He was conscientious in class, met with me regularly for advising, and worked diligently to balance his coursework and volunteer efforts with environmental clubs and organizations.”
Garcia is a 2009 graduate of the UTB/TSC Math and Science Academy. Taking part in the academy also directed him towards a career in science. He has organized and participated in beach, highway, resaca, campus and street cleanups as an active member of the service club Circle K International. He was club president during the 2010 term.
“It’s all about conservation, stewardship, and sustainability,” he said. “The lower Rio Grande Valley is a biodiversity hotspot. Eco-tourism draws people from all over the country. It is our responsibility to protect the hundreds of species of flora and fauna that reside in our community.”
His willingness to commit to the internship for the sake of learning impressed the members of the TCEQ Harlingen office.
“He is very eager to learn and always volunteering to go out on investigations,” said Jose Manuel Aguilar, an environmental investigator of the TCEQ.