Three important things I learned while studying journalism in a border community

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Unlike most journalism students, I began my journalism degree with no interest in the career. Sure, I loved writing – I always have, but I wasn’t even familiar with the process of writing a news article. You see, I’ve known that I wanted to be a book editor since I was 13 years old. No other job mixed my two biggest passions – reading and writing – like this one. So when the time came for me to choose a major in college, English and American Literature seemed like the logical route.

Howdy Homemade ice cream creates jobs for El Pasoans with disabilities

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A new Downtown ice cream shop is serving up unique flavors along with work opportunities for El Pasoans with special needs. Howdy Homemade ice cream opened this November on the first floor of the Roderick Artspace at the intersection of Missouri and Oregon. The Dallas-based franchise is staffed primarily by teens and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 23% of people with disabilities in the U.S. are employed, compared to 68% of people without disabilities. After almost seven years since its opening, Howdy Homemade now has 10 franchisees across the country, four of which are in Texas.

Women advance in once male-dominated mariachi scene – preserving tradition with unique style

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CIUDAD JUAREZ — When Stephanie Cramer started playing mariachi music in Ciudad Juárez 24 years ago, she didn’t know any other women mariachi musicians in the city. Now a violinist and singer for Mariachi Trio México de Noche, Cramer said she had to earn acceptance from the men because she was breaking a long-standing tradition. “They would make me cry, not only the guys in my group but the clients. They see a girl, and it was something new,” she said. Cramer’s experience is common according to Leonor Xóchitl Pérez, founder and executive director of the Mariachi Women’s Foundation.