By Karen Villarreal

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – Nov. 12, 2025 – Students from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Nursing have collaborated with three other UTRGV health-focused schools to offer free health screenings, vaccinations and information about available resources at a Healthy Harvest Fair to be held Friday, Nov. 14, at the La Joya Juarez-Lincoln High School gym.

What began as a group assignment in Clinical Assistant Professor Vanessa Hale’s NURS 4202 Community Health course — to research a community’s health needs — will culminate in the fair, with a goal of “Caring for Colonia Communities.” Laert Musollari, a fourth-semester Bachelor of Science in Nursing student and one of several team leads, brought together partners from the School of Medicine, School of Social Work, and School of Podiatric Medicine. Students and clinical faculty from each school will contribute screenings, checkups and vaccinations at free or low cost, and will educate the community about general health to promote wellness among those who have difficulty accessing healthcare.

“I’m glad I can work as a leader with a nurse mindset to use our skills to promote wellness in some way — even if it’s one person,” said Musollari, who worked on the preliminary research to determine the health needs of the La Joya area’s colonia communities. “We want them to know they have help.”

The Healthy Harvest Fair is free and open to the public.

For more information, reach out to Laert Musollari, laert.musollari01@utrgv.edu.