Podcast with Dr. Adame: Dr. Yvette Martinez-Vu

In this episode Dr. Felipe Sustaita shares his story of how he went from being a migrant worker to having a seat at the table. Also shares about not having a bed until he went to Michigan State University, and how picking strawberries and other fruit made him the person who he is today. He wrote a book dedicated to his father who taught him the importance of keeping your word. Felipe also discusses how he came up with the idea of the book, how it was growing up, working 12-14 hours when he was just 11 years old. Also talks about growing up in Donna Texas, the RGV, and arriving to the university without being able to read or write, and now he has earned a doctorate degree.

In this episode Dr. ET shares her story of being an immigrant to this country and how she would travel every day to and from Mexico to come to school in the United States while in elementary. She discusses some of her struggles and how this has impacted her life. Dr. ET provides life advice and also shares how she fell through the cracks in high school and later earned a GED.

Dr. John “Push” Gaines, former at-risk youth, is the CEO and founder of PUSH for Dreams. He's a best-selling author and Emmy-Nominated Speaker. Dr. Gaines Holds a bachelor’s degree from East Central University, where he was honored as The Outstanding Student in Business and Led the Football Team to Victory as Captain. He Also Has A master’s degree in business leadership and a Doctorate in Business Administration. Dr. John Gaines shares his life story and how he overcame all of the adversities. Being a foster child, he faced many roadblocks however none of them turned him bitter. One day when he was seven years old, he wrote a goal of one day being a doctor and be a role model just like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and now he has reached that goal and is changing the world. Author of three books and a fourth one coming soon. Being a family man is his greatest accomplishment. Some of the life advice he shares are: trust God's timing, enjoy the present, focus on the positive, have a positive mindset, and you don't have to do life alone. He also shares that his faith and relationship with God is the most important thing in his life.

Veronica ‘Ronnie’ Ontiveros is an entrepreneur and community leader in the Rio Grande Valley. She is the owner & broker of NextHome RGV Realty, which has been recognized with the Pinnacle Award as one of nation’s top 23% out of +500 franchise offices. Ronnie is the CEO and President of Med-Care EMS; one of the largest 911 emergency medical companies in South Texas and the sole owner and president of Lifeguard Aero-Med. Born and raised in Kingsville, TX, Ronnie grew up in a business-minded home where she gained a deep understanding of the skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur. Her parents Juan, a migrant worker, and Nora Flores instilled a hard work ethic in Ronnie by getting her involved in their rental property business with small duties like cutting the yard and painting walls. In this episode Ronnie shares about the different hats she wears as a business owner, a mother, and a community leader.

Dr. Yvette Martínez-Vu is a Chicana mother-scholar who works as an academic coach and consultant. She has a Ph.D. in Theater and Performance Studies from UCLA. She is the producer and host of the Grad School Femtoring podcast and founder of Grad School Femtoring, LLC where she empowers first-generation students of color as they navigate higher education. Dr. Martinez-Vu is the co-author of the forthcoming The Grad School Femtoring Guide: Successfully Navigating Graduate School Applications with the University of California Press. In this episode she share about her early years, her adversities and what helped her persist as well as some life advice.

J.R. Gonzales is a native from Mercedes Texas and has become accomplished business owner, entrepreneur, political strategist, and public speaker who has dedicated his career to advocating for issues affecting Latino and minority communities. With over 20 years of experience in leadership positions at the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce (TAMACC), he has established himself as a respected voice in the Hispanic business community. In addition, he serves on the Export-Import Bank of the United States Council on Small Business. Prior to his current positions, Gonzales served as Chairman of the Board and president of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. In this episode he shares a bit of his early years, childhood memories visiting his grandmother, and why he is a Latino advocate. He talks about how the "Bewitched" show influenced his college major in Adverising and Communications. JR shares his biggest adversity was having to work while in college. One of those summer jobs was swimming with a pig. The moment that changed his life was when he realized that he had to look at situations through a positive lens. He believes that you're the total sum of your experiences, he describes himself as the fajita police, and talks a bit of why became a podcaster. He's visited the Great Wall of China 13 times, has met 5 US Presidents, 3 presidents from Mexico, other presidents, and shares what he would tell his 18-year-old self if he could.

Attorney Deborah Cordova shares about her childhood growing up in the Rio Grande Valley. She talks about the importance of education, changing majors in college, and why she chose law school. Deborah graduated from St. Mary’s University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in accounting. She received her law degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law in 2002. Deborah also graduated from the University of Texas Pan American with a Master of Business Administration in 2003. She is a founding member and partner at Walsh McGurk Cordova Nixon, PLLC. In this episode she also shares that she's most proud of being family oriented and everyone needs to get involved in the community and give back. Deborah is currently a member of many boards and organizations such as Teach for America and the Hispanic Women Network of Texas (HWNT). She recently received the Women Making History Award by HWNT, and was named La Jefa by RGV Vision. Deborah served on the Board of Directors for the State Bar of Texas (SBOT) from 2019-2022, is a Past Chair of the Women and the Law Council of the SBOT, and a Past President of the Texas Women Lawyers. She was recognized as a Texas Rising Star from 2007-2015. She had been awarded many other recognitions such as Woman of the Year in 2016 for her outstanding community service on behalf of the citizens of Mission and was a recipient of the Rio Grande Valley Walk of Fame by the City of Hidalgo in 2017.

Chicas in Class Podcast share their story on this episode. Zuleyca and Jainette met in Grad School, they talked about their adversities, how they juggle work, mom duties, the podcast and much more. They provide life advice and talk about some life challenges they have faced. Zuleyca's biggest adversity was having no one to pave the way for her. Jainette's biggest adversity was an abusive relationship. However, she shares that with God's help she was able to overcome and how that has shaped her life for the better. Both Zuleyca and Jainette have an MBA, and also have similar definitions of success. Success for them has evolved through the years and now strive to look at the positive in life, focus on the good, and showing up and being authentic.

En este episodio Nincy Erazo nativa de Guatemala comparte sobre su vida y de como llego a los estados unidos cuando solo tenia tres añitos. Comparte sobre un impactante accidente que sufrio ella y su familia. Tambien habla de como fue victima de abuso fisico y mental, hasta que un dia por medio de un sueño, decide salir de la relacion. Tambien comparte de como decidio escribir un libro. Hoy ha escrito varios libros, tiene un Podcast donde comparte que Dios la ayudo a perdonar y a ser una nueva persona apesar de que ella nunca habia ido a la iglesia.