UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine welcomes future podiatrists inspired to serve South Texas

By Karen Villarreal

HARLINGEN, TEXAS – AUG. 25, 2026 – The UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine recently welcomed its largest, most Texan cohort of future doctors with 98 percent of them calling the state home.

The SOPM Class of 2030 comprises 41 students, including 40 new students and one returning student, selected from a highly competitive pool of applicants.

At the annual SOPM Dean’s Reception held on Thursday, July 30, at the Harlingen Convention Center, Dean Javier La Fontaine welcomed the fifth cohort of students to their next academic chapter and shared a brief history of the school.

The inaugural SOPM class was welcomed in 2022, as the first school of podiatric medicine in Texas and the nation’s only fully state-supported college of podiatric medicine.

“In a short period of time, our students, faculty, and staff have built a culture that centers excellence, professionalism, collaboration, service, and innovation,” La Fontaine said. “Today, as a member of the class of ‘30, you become part of that legacy.”

SOPM Dean, Dr. Javier La Fontaine, welcomed the fifth cohort of students to their next academic chapter at a Dean’s Reception held on Thursday, July 30. (UTRGV Photo by Karen Villarreal)

“Your patients will remember your compassion as much as your clinical expertise,” he said. “Remain true to the reason that brought you here.”

Students in the SOPM Class of 2030 chose podiatry after being shaped by personal injuries, family health challenges and discovery through shadowing and undergraduate research.

FINDING THE WAY INTO MEDICINE

Ashlie Ruiz, who earned her B.S. in biology and master's in biomedical engineering at UTRGV, developed an interest in sports medicine when she was 15, after a softball injury took her off the field for eight months.

“It was a championship-deciding game. We were winning. It was the third out and everybody was looking at the pitch. They go back to the mound – and they see me there on the floor,” Ruiz said.

The metal cleat on her shoes had gotten stuck in the cement – shredding her ACL, tearing a meniscus, and dislocating her kneecap.

Ashlie Ruiz, SOPM Class of ‘30, developed an interest in sports medicine after a softball injury sidelined her for eight months. (UTRGV Photo by Karen Villarreal)

“When I did get back on the field, I always had in the back of my mind that I was an injury away from being sidelined,” said Ruiz, who is from Edinburg and wants to be near her family after graduating and completing residency. “I always had an interest in medicine, so I started to focus more on that than sports.”

Fellow cohort member Elaina Moss came to the Rio Grande Valley from Houston to take the first step towards following her podiatrist father’s example.

She was inspired to pursue the field after shadowing him in high school, remembering how a surgery he performed healed a patient’s five-year pain.

“It was amazing seeing that acute difference in a patient, and it really made me want to be able to do this,” Moss said. “I looked at a ton of different specialties – but I always came back to it.”

FIRST IN THE FAMILY

Some future podiatrists are continuing the legacy of a family practice, like Moss; others are the first in their families to attend college or medical school, paving the way for younger siblings and cousins while achieving a personal milestone.   

Ramiro Cisneros, from Brownsville, is one of 11 in the group who completed their undergraduate studies at UTRGV, earning his B.S. in Psychology and minor in chemistry.

Cisneros was ten years old the first time his dad got gout – a form of arthritis that causes pain and swelling.

“I saw how he couldn't stand the pain, and how he couldn’t walk. I had learned in history class that kings used to die from that, so I got a little scared,” he remembered.

Cisneros said that as first-generation immigrants, his parents didn't speak English, so he often had the role of translating at the doctor’s office when his dad started treatment. As his condition became manageable, Cisneros was inspired to one day help his community as a doctor. 

Emily Delgado, SOPM Class of ’30, had family members suffer lower limb amputations. She looks forward to one day teaching the next generation of podiatrists. (UTRGV Photo by Karen Villarreal)

“I know what a lot of people here are going through. I want to help my community, which is the most affected by diabetes,” Cisneros said.  “There are a lot of diabetic issues that need to be looked more into at the microscopic level.”

Emily Delgado, from Mission, earned her B.S. in Psychology and minor in Addiction Studies at UTRGV. She said a lot of her family members suffered from diabetes, including her grandfather, who had a below-the-ankle amputation.  

“I went with him to see his podiatrist, and that kind of pushed me to learn more about the profession,” she said. “I am also really interested in teaching the next generation of podiatrists when I graduate. I teach at my church, so giving back like that is just something that I've learned over the years.”

Delgado said she is proud to be a first-generation student and the first woman in her family to go to medical school.

“It feels like I'm pushing those boundaries that are built up throughout generations,” she said. “It’s very rewarding.”

The Class of 2030 and their upperclassmen at UTRGV SOPM started the Fall 2026 semester on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026.

The UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine is accepting applications for its next cohort.