Meet Estela De La Garza, a UTRGV Unsung Hero
Text by Amanda A. Taylor-Uchoa
Estela De La Garza, director of Community Engagement at UTRGV, has spent the past 16 years building bridges between the university and the Rio Grande Valley community. Based on the Brownsville and Edinburg campuses, she works closely with students, faculty, staff, and local organizations to foster partnerships that create meaningful, lasting impact.
For De La Garza, the most rewarding part of her role is hearing how service-learning experiences or volunteer opportunities have helped students grow personally and professionally. “UTRGV is my home away from home,” she said. “It’s exciting to connect with others and invite them to be part of the UTRGV family — whether as students, faculty, or staff.”
WHAT IS YOUR ROLE AT UTRGV?
As the director of Community Engagement, my role is to build and strengthen relationships between the university and local communities while ensuring these partnerships are mutually beneficial and impactful. I work across campus to capture and showcase how the university collaborates with community organizations, facilitating workshops for faculty and staff to enhance their understanding of community engagement. Ultimately, my goal is to foster sustainable partnerships that benefit both the university and the community, creating a lasting culture of collaboration and civic responsibility.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED HERE?
I’ve worked here for 16 years!
DESCRIBE YOUR AVERAGE DAY:
My days are filled with conversations with students, faculty, staff, and community partners about how we can work collaboratively to address needs. My goal is always to strengthen and deepen relationships with all stakeholders, all while tracking that engagement on UTRGV’s Engagement Zone platform.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF YOUR JOB?
The best part of my job is hearing the success stories of our students and community partners. I love receiving feedback from students or their families about how a meaningful connection — whether through service learning or volunteering — has helped them in their careers. I never know when those stories will come, but when they do, it makes everything I do even more rewarding.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE MEMORY OR STORY ABOUT YOUR TIME HERE?
My favorite memory is discovering my passion for engaging others in service during an Alternative Spring Break event at the Good Neighbor Settlement House in 2008. That week made me realize how the university could create lasting impact by co-creating mutually beneficial experiences. After that, I joined our legacy office, the Center for Civic Engagement — first as a volunteer, then as a student employee, and eventually as a full-time staff member.
TELL US SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU:
I raise chickens for the fun of having colorful eggs — brown, white, blue, green, etc. and I enjoy sharing those eggs.
WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UTRGV COMMUNITY?
UTRGV is my home away from home, and I’m always excited to share that with others. Whether I’m at a personal event or just running errands, I find myself inviting people to become part of the UTRGV family — as students, faculty, or staff. I’m a proud alumna of both UTB and UTRGV, and I’m also a UTRGV Mom and Tía, which makes the connection even more meaningful.
