Border Stories | Francisco Guajardo | TEDxMcAllen

Summary

This inspiring narrative follows a teacher's journey in the small community of Edcouch-Elsa, Texas, where he challenges his students to dream big and apply to Ivy League universities. Through fundraising efforts and a series of field trips, he takes students on transformative visits to prestigious institutions, igniting their ambitions. The story also touches on identity, community, and the power of imagination, as the teacher later establishes a nonprofit to enrich college preparation with a focus on self-awareness and local history.

Takeaways

• 🌍 The speaker's family immigrated from Mexico to the United States when he was young, settling in the small community of Elsa, near Edcouch, Texas.
• 👨‍👦 A pivotal moment in the speaker's childhood was when his father introduced him to a respected community figure, Mrs. Longoria, emphasizing the importance of education and community involvement.
• 👩‍🏫 Mrs. Longoria, a teacher, had a profound impact on the speaker's early life, instilling a sense of community and the value of education.
• 📚 As a teacher, the speaker assigned his students to write their life stories, which revealed their resilience, love for family, and connection to their town.
• 💭 The speaker was inspired by his students' stories and sought to encourage them to dream big, even considering prestigious universities like the Ivy League.
• 🏛️ The speaker's bold promise to take his students to visit Ivy League schools led to a fundraising effort and a life-changing trip for many of them.
• 🚌 A van filled with students from the high school visited Ivy League universities, resulting in six students getting accepted into those prestigious schools.
• 🤔 The speaker later questioned the ethics of sending talented students away without a plan to bring them back, leading to the creation of the 'ya know' Center for Research and Development.
• 🌱 The 'ya know' Center aimed to reimagine college preparation by incorporating identity formation, family studies, and community-based research to ensure students knew their roots and history.
• 📖 An oral history initiative was started, where students interviewed elders in the community, leading to a deeper understanding of their heritage and the meaning of being a 'founder'.
• 🔑 The story of Donnie Savin, a working-class man who contributed significantly to the founding of Edcouch, challenged the students' perceptions and inspired them to have a 'bigger imagination' about their potential and identity.

Q & A

What significant event occurred in the speaker's life when he was six years old?

The speaker's father introduced him to Mrs. Longoria, a teacher who was considered the most important person in their community, which was a critical life moment for the speaker.

Why did the speaker's father consider Mrs. Longoria the most important person in the community?

Mrs. Longoria was a teacher, and the speaker's father emphasized her importance in shaping the community's future through education.

What assignment did the speaker give his students that had a profound impact on him?

The speaker assigned his students to write their life stories in an autobiography, which moved and inspired him with their resilience, love for family, and connection to their town.

What was the initial reaction of the students when the speaker suggested they could get into Ivy League universities?

The students were initially confused and surprised, with some not having big dreams or an understanding of what Ivy League universities were.

How did the speaker and his wife raise funds to take the students on a trip to visit Ivy League universities?

They raised funds by selling oranges from a local orchard and pastries from a Mexican bakery at school, ultimately raising $12,000.

What was the outcome of the first trip to Ivy League universities for the students from the speaker's high school?

Six of the students who went on the trip got accepted into Ivy League schools.

Why did the speaker question the approach of his college preparation program after several years?

The speaker felt that he was contributing to a global phenomenon where talented students were sent away without a plan to return, which he thought was wrong.

What did the speaker and his friends create to address the issue of students losing connection to their roots after attending college?

They created the 'Ya Know Ground' Center for Search and Development, a nonprofit organization focused on infusing identity formation and community-based research into college preparation.

What was the first initiative of the 'Ya Know Ground' Center for Search and Development?

The first initiative was an oral history project where students interviewed elders in the community, starting with ISA Bell Gutierrez, one of the founders of Edcouch.

What did Donnie Savin teach the students about the meaning of being a 'founder'?

Donnie Savin taught the students that the term 'founder' is not limited to historical figures like George Washington but can also apply to working-class individuals who have made significant contributions to their communities.

What lesson did the speaker learn from his father, Carlos, Mrs. Longoria, and Donnie Savin?

The speaker learned the importance of having a 'bigger imagination' and to challenge conventional ideas about who can be considered significant or foundational in a community.