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Draft:Thomas Ray Garcia

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Thomas Ray Garcia
Garcia presenting at the Museum of South Texas History
BornSeptember 9, 1993
McAllen, Texas
OccupationAuthor • Professor
EducationPrinceton University • UCLA • UTRGV
GenreFiction • Non-Fiction
Notable worksThe River Runs: Stories (2023)
Notable awardsInternational Latino Book Awards Finalist
Website
www.thomasraygarcia.com

Thomas Ray Garcia is a Latino author, professor, and entrepreneur from McAllen, Texas. He resides in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S.-Mexico border, the region of focus throughout his writing. A first-generation college graduate of Princeton University[1], Garcia has spearheaded college access initiatives throughout his work in K-12 education and higher education. In 2013, he founded the College Scholarship Leadership Access Program, a youth-led college access program that he developed into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.[2] He is currently an English professor at South Texas College.[3]

After winning the Américo Paredes Literary Arts Prize for Fiction, Garcia published The River Runs: Stories in 2023.[4] His literary debut was followed by a co-authored work, El Curso de la Raza: The Education of Aurelio Manuel Montemayor, about the South Texas Chicano Movement.[5]

In 2024, Garcia was named a finalist in the International Latino Book Awards for Best Collection of Short Stories - English.[6] Previously, he had received accolades for short stories later published in The River Runs, notably co-winning the Princeton University Ward Mathis Prize in 2016.

Early Life and Education

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File:Thomas Ray Garcia, Princeton '16.jpg
Garcia graduated in the Princeton University class of 2016

Garcia was born on September 9, 1993 in McAllen, Texas. He grew up in a single-parent household in Pharr, Texas. Garcia graduated from PSJA North Early College High School at the top of his class.[7] According to Garcia, Princeton University's financial aid program motivated him to apply and matriculate to the Ivy League University.[8]

He pursued an English degree and participated in the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program.[9] While at Princeton, Garcia wrote blogs for prospective students through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.[10] He also co-founded the Princeton Hidden Minority Council, a student organization that advocated for first-generation and low-income minority students, which later won the Martin Luther King Jr. Journey Award.[11]

After graduating from Princeton, Garcia taught high school students at PSJA ISD before pursuing a doctoral degree in English at UCLA.[12] He left the doctoral program with a terminal master's degree in 2022. He later pursued a second master's degree in Higher Education Administration at UTRGV in 2023.[13]

Career

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Thomas Ray Garcia speaking with a student at the College Scholarship Leadership Access Program
Garcia at the College Scholarship Leadership Access Program

Garcia founded the College Scholarship Leadership Access Program at age 19.[14] From 2013 to 2016, the college access program consisted of youth-led workshops and courses on college admissions. According to Garcia, his summer breaks at Princeton were dedicated to leading the program and developing near-peer mentorship initiatives.[15]

The program evolved into Garcia's high school course at PSJA ISD, his first full-time position after graduating from Princeton University. In 2019, Garcia incorporated the College Scholarship Leadership Access Program as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. He served as executive director from 2019 to 2023 before transitioning to chairing the board of directors.

At UCLA, Garcia began teaching English at the collegiate level.[16] As a graduate student, he taught undergraduate courses on critical reading and writing, creative writing, and American Literature.[17]

In 2024, he joined the English faculty at South Texas College, where he currently teaches courses on rhetoric, composition, and literary genre.

Garcia's latest initiative is Beyond Borders Books, an independent press he co-founded with educator Clarissa Riojas.[18]

Politics and Activism

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Thomas Ray Garcia standing next to a historical marker commemorating the 1971 Pharr Riot
Garcia and the Pharr Riot historical marker

In 2017, Garcia submitted an application to the Texas State Historical Commission to erect a historical marker commemorating the 1971 Pharr Riot.[19] The historical marker was erected in Pharr in 2021.[20]

In 2022, Garcia ran for the Texas State Board of Education as a Democrat. His platform prioritized expanding mental health resources, updating the state's learning standards on digital literacy, computer science, and ethnic studies; and advocating against statewide book bans. He placed 3rd in a 5-person primary election.[21]

Garcia has written opinion pieces on school vouchers,[22] school-to-industry partnerships,[23] near-peer mentorship in college admissions,[24] and the Texas State Board of Education.[25]

Bibliography

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Garcia has published two books, The River Runs: Stories and El Curso de la Raza: The Education of Aurelio Manuel Montemayor, in 2023. He has also self-published a children's picture book, Speechless, with communication strategist Matt Eventoff.[26]

Fiction

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  • The River Runs: Stories. Sante Fe, New Mexico: Prickly Pear Publishing, 2023. ISBN 9781889568218.

Non-Fiction

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Children's Books

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  • Speechless (with illustrations by Nai N'yan Saechao). Self-Published, 2020.

References

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  1. ^ "Thomas Ray Garcia '16 builds relationships and a nonprofit to help Latino students | Princeton Alumni". alumni.princeton.edu. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  2. ^ "About CSLAP". College Scholarship Leadership Access Program. 2019-10-20. Retrieved 2024-09-22.
  3. ^ "English". South Texas College. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  4. ^ TBB (2023-06-20). "Pharr Native Publishes Award-Winning Book of Short Stories". Texas Border Business. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  5. ^ "El Curso de la Raza". Texas A&M University Press. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  6. ^ Montoya, Luis (2024-09-16). "Valley author Garcia earns accolade from International Latino Book Awards". Rio Grande Guardian. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  7. ^ "CSLAP | Thomas Ray Garcia | Rio Grande Valley". CSLAP. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  8. ^ "First in the Family | Princeton Alumni Weekly". paw.princeton.edu. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  9. ^ "Thomas Garcia". Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  10. ^ "Thomas Ray Garcia | Princeton Admission". admission.princeton.edu. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  11. ^ Aronson, Emily; Office of Communications, Princeton. "King Day Journey Award recognizes Princeton Hidden Minority Council". Princeton University. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  12. ^ "The transformative power of travel". UCLA College. 2022-01-13. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  13. ^ "UTRGV Fall 2023 Commencement" (PDF).
  14. ^ Muñoz, Mario (2022-02-07). "Podcast: The story behind the start of CSLAP". Rio Grande Guardian. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  15. ^ Taylor, Steve (2015-08-18). "PSJA alumni mentor students on going to university". Rio Grande Guardian. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  16. ^ "Coursicle – Chat with classmates". www.coursicle.com. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  17. ^ "UCLA English 4WS Service Learning Projects". UCLA English 4WS Service Learning Projects. 2020-06-09. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  18. ^ "Beyond Borders Books". Beyond Borders Books. 2024-05-26. Retrieved 2024-09-22.
  19. ^ Vela, Abigail (2023-02-07). "Op-Ed: The Pharr Riot and the Need for Mexican-American Studies". Trucha RGV. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  20. ^ Karami, Iris (February 11, 2021). "Pharr Riot receives historical marker 50 years later". Valley Central. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  21. ^ "Thomas Garcia (Texas)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  22. ^ Garcia, Thomas Ray (2023-02-12). "Garcia: The SBOE Chooses Passivity Over Principle on Vouchers". Rio Grande Guardian. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  23. ^ Garcia, Thomas Ray (2021-06-08). "Garcia: Enhancing the Internship Experience Through Partnerships". Rio Grande Guardian. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  24. ^ Garcia, Thomas Ray (2020-09-28). "Garcia: Near-Peer Mentorship During COVID-19". Rio Grande Guardian. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  25. ^ Vela, Abigail (2022-05-13). "COMMENTARY: IN SCHOOL BOARD BATTLES BIG MONEY WINS BIPARTISAN SUPPORT". Trucha RGV. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  26. ^ "Picture Books | Speak With Style Books". Speak With Style. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
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