Slice Of Life

- People to People: Ashlee Winters
- Winters was picked to participate in leadership summit
- For more than a year, Ashlee Winters crossed her fingers to get picked for a national program that could help her into her favorite college.This past week, she was part of the People to People Leadership Summit at Rice University in Houston.“I&... Full story

- Giving back: Cassie Contreras
- Contreras focuses on bringing communities out of poverty
- By FERNANDO DEL VALLE/Valley Morning Star
- When Cassie Contreras left college, she wanted to make a difference.At the University of Texas-Pan American, she earned a bachelor’s degree in business marketing.After she graduated, she signed up for a year’s stint with AmeriCorps-VISTA,... Full story

- Medical community: Nora Castañeda-Rivas
- Castañenda-Rivas' skills helped her become a marketing director
- Nora Castañeda-Rivas is looking forward to serving on a state advisory council on emergency medical services because it will be another way to serve her community, she said.Born and raised in Harlingen, she’s a graduate of Harlingen High... Full story

- Living In ‘Paradise’: Bill Donahue
- Hotel manager wouldn't change anything about his life
- By CARL PHILLIPS/Special to the Star
- Bill Donahue is living proof that a man can be successful even if his career path chooses him instead of the other way around.He began his college education while he was serving in the Air Force. After his discharge he was looking for a job that woul... Full story

- The Zumba life: Rebecca Cortez
- Cortez performed at WNBA half-time show
- MICHAEL BARAJAS/Valley Morning Star
- When she started teaching Zumba years ago, Rebecca Cortez never thought she’d end up teaching a class, let alone performing in a national forum.“I started doing it just for fun. I never thought I’d be teaching or going out and perfo... Full story

- In the classroom: Meli Lira
- Harlingen resident Lira realized teaching is her career path
- By DANIEL PERRY/Special to the Star
- Meli Lira of Harlingen realized what her career path was as she listened to children’s laughter and witnessed their tireless energy.
Lira, 28, graduated in spring 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in biology from The University of Texas &nda... Full story

- Stepping up: Dorothy Timm
- Ronald McDonald House names Timm outstanding volunteer
- By TRAVIS M. WHITEHEAD/The Brownsville Herald
- Dorothy Timm was quite surprised when she was invited to an annual meeting of an organization where she volunteers.The Board of Directors of the Ronald McDonald Charities of the Rio Grande Valley invited her and several other volunteers to the May 11... Full story

- Inspirational Award: Migdalia Banda
- Dream house design motivates Migdalia Banda
- By DAVE RALPH/Special to the Star
- Dream houses seldom go beyond a “dream,” but Migdalia Banda is hard at work on computerized design details for her dream house.The computer drafting and design technology major at Texas State Technical College regularly invests extra hour... Full story

- New lifestyle: Alma Vela
- Vela and her husband opened Breathe Life Christian Church
- Alma Vela is breathing new life into an old building that community members helped turn into a church.“God just moves people,” she said.Six years ago, Vela gave her life to Jesus Christ after her husband Ramon became a Christian, she said... Full story

- Making rounds: Paula Cruz
- Cruz has been nursing for more then 43 years in Harlingen
- Paula Cruz is a very familiar face at Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen.For 43 years, she has made the rounds, helping patients and doctors.Actually she’s been providing service to patients for more than 43 years because she began working... Full story