Wednesday, July 24, 2024
Community, Around Campus
By Amanda Alaniz
RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – JULY 24, 2024 – For the past 10 years, Team Mario has hosted its Fun Fridays Summer Camp at UTRGV.
Camps for Team Mario, an organization dedicated to helping families and children affected by the autism spectrum disorder (ASD), are filled with activities modified for children with autism.
On the final day of the camp, the theme was “Superhero Luau,” featuring a variety games, handcrafts and a pizza party.
Lisa Beccera, Team Mario program director, has been with the organization since the initial camp, which came to fruition at legacy institution University of Texas Pan American 10 years ago as a social skills camp for children with autism. The camp is in collaboration with the UTRGV College of Education and P-16 Integration, along with the support of Dr. John Lowdermilk, department chair and professor with the Department Human Development and School Services.
“When I think back on these 10 years, I’m just amazed. I hope we continue for 10 more years, so we can provide new experiences to new individuals,” she said.
This year’s milestone summer camp saw many first-time campers who had never experienced a summer program before, Beccera said.
One of the newest buddies is UTRGV senior Mechanical Engineering major Samantha Zúñiga. This summer camp was the first time she had volunteered with the organization, and she already has plans to continue helping.
She has a younger brother with autism, she said, so she has some insight into what the children need, and she is thankful for the chance to be part of their learning experiences.
“My brother is nonverbal. It does take a lot for him to build trust to feel comfortable with a person to do activities,” she said. "So being support for these other kids, knowing they have familiar faces to come to – whether it’s the other campers or volunteers – we’re able to give them that summer camp feel. It’s really fulfilling.”
At the end of the day, Fun Fridays is all about the campers, about giving them memorable experiences. Some of the campers return from year to year to have fun with their friends and take part in the fun-filled activities.
“My favorite part is hanging out with my friends, talking, and talking to other people and having fun,” he said.
Beccera said it means a lot to her to see the campers come back, as well as to get new children to enroll. She doesn’t forget any of the campers who are part of Team Mario, and feels a sense of pride in seeing them grow.
“Our belief in the parents’ son or daughter translates into them believing in their son or daughter. And that has the capacity to change lives,” she said. “Just one person believing in this individual. My hope is, it’s a ripple effect and their lives will be better. I know my life is better because of it.”
To learn more about Team Mario and its activities, visit teammario.org.
Check out some of the stories about the past Team Mario Summer Camps at UTRGV:
- Team Mario summer camp ‘blasts off’ at UTRGV
- UTRGV’s Team Mario Summer Camp offers adventures for children on Autism Spectrum
- Heroes-in-training take over Team Mario’s summer camp at UTRGV
- Everything is awesome!
ABOUT UTRGV
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) was created by the Texas Legislature in 2013 as the first major public university of the 21st century in Texas. This transformative initiative provided the opportunity to expand educational opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley, including a new School of Medicine, and made it possible for residents of the region to benefit from the Permanent University Fund – a public endowment contributing support to the University of Texas System and other institutions.
UTRGV has campuses and off-campus research and teaching sites throughout the Rio Grande Valley including in Boca Chica Beach, Brownsville (formerly The University of Texas at Brownsville campus), Edinburg (formerly The University of Texas-Pan American campus), Harlingen, McAllen, Port Isabel, Rio Grande City, and South Padre Island. UTRGV, a comprehensive academic institution, enrolled its first class in the fall of 2015, and the School of Medicine welcomed its first class in the summer of 2016.