“Not to worry,” I said. “They’ll be ready tomorrow morning when you arrive.” She did not move from her position and her grip brought her backpack closer still. Finally, it dawned on me. “Are you telling me you don’t have fare to get home?” She nodded shyly. “Are you telling me you can’t get here tomorrow morning?” Once again, she nodded. “Poor thing” was my internal mental and emotional response and my eyes welled up with tears. That was soon replaced by “This little girl has guts, a passion for learning, and ambition.” All she needed was $6. Imagine how much she wanted to be here to learn. Imagine her fearless resolve to get to class and figure out the rest later. THAT is why I am optimistic. She IS the future. Rosanne Palacios is TAMIU Vice President for Institutional Advancement SHARED CROSSROADS HERALD CONFIDENCE, OPTIMISM IN LEGACIES The sudden passing of Dr. Pablo Arenaz, our leader and friend, has made us all consider plans for our futures and the crossroads that we often share. I wonder, When will I retire? What will I do after I retire? What will the world look like? I can answer the first two: sooner than I hope...and travel. What will the world look like? Stay tuned. Although I can’t describe it to a “T”, I will say I’m quite optimistic. Working at our University, surrounded by close to 9,000 students and the brightest minds and help committed to their success makes me feel so. The young adults who study here are kind, generous, and ambitious. They want to be something. They want to leave a legacy. Their generosity can be measured by the work of so many student organizations that contribute to our life on campus and our city. Make a Difference Day attracted 700-plus TAMIU volunteers who generated over 28,000 community service hours at the Las Palmas Trail and in the La Azteca neighborhood. The Student Philanthropy Council has created an endowment of more than $100,000 creating a perpetual source of scholarships for TAMIU students. These are just two examples of students giving back and helping this community...there are others. I think they ARE leaving a legacy! As I cross campus to and from meetings, I am moved by our students’ enthusiasm and their desire to learn. I observe laughter and tears. I observe furled brows and cheek-to-cheek smiles, sometimes in rapid succession. I observe love between young sweethearts, old friends, and new friends. This gives me real hope for the future. A young woman, an acquaintance from another group I am part of, came to see me at the start of last Fall. She was new to campus and expressed her concerns about the size of campus and worried she would not figure it out. I advised her to sit in the front row and get to know her professors. She smiled and nodded, but sat frozen in the chair, tightly embracing her backpack. “Is there something else?” I queried. She responded she had not received her bus tokens. I sprang into action and called the right people for the right answer. thoughts on giving Interested in forging a legacy of your own at Texas A&M International University? Call Rosanne Palacios at 956.326.2178, email rosanne.palacios@tamiu.edu or mail donations to TAMIU Office of Institutional Advancement 5201 University Boulevard, Laredo, TX 78041 go.tamiu.edu/give WHAT’S YOUR LEGACY? 5
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