Students and families came together last Saturday for the annual Community Day that ends HESTEC Week to celebrate the educational event with a variety of food and music.
John Guzman, a sophomore starting his first year at UTRGV, said HESTEC is the reason he chose to study biology. He said his mom started bringing him to the event over 10 years ago.
“My mom and I started coming when I was around 8,” Guzman said. “… And ever since then we’ve been coming every year together.”
He said he enjoys the event and hopes it will bring attention to the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
“I am thankful for my mom and UTRGV for showing all these kids opportunities to be great people,” John said, “… so that they can see what they wanna be when they’re older.”
John’s mother, Nicole Guzman, said she read about HESTEC in the newspaper and always knew her son had a love for science and, more particularly, bugs.
“Down here there isn’t that much exposure,” Guzman said, “for … Hispanic children to have an opportunity to see for themselves the actual experiments, to visit with people that actually wanna talk to you because they want you to come here and get a better education.”
The expo continued in the Fieldhouse with colleges from UTRGV handing out information as well as one of the sponsors, H-E-B, hosting sessions about healthier eating.
JoAnn Martinez, an H-E-B registered dietitian, held sessions every hour during the event explaining the healthier choices for meals, like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and breakfast cereal.
Using a MyPlate model, she explained that even with something as simple as cereal, it is easy to add fruit and eggs to fill the requirements for the five food groups.
Audrey Treviño Guerra, H-E-B Public Affairs senior coordinator, said this was her fifth year working with HESTEC for H-E-B.
“We make sure that we connect H-E-B to community,” Guerra said, “and to let them know that we have viable resources inside of our stores to ensure that they’re getting the nutritional needs.”
She said they included activities for children, as well as adults, so they can learn nutritious eating early.
Outside, the walkway between the engineering and science buildings, all the way to the Fieldhouse parking lot, held booths with organizations selling food.
As attendees followed the walkway toward the sundial, they could smell treats like nachos, espiropapas, aguas frescas and doughnuts.
A few organizations decided to be more interactive with their fundraising and had games involving balloon popping and bean-bag tossing.
The Chess Club created a real-life Angry Birds booth, where they had plush Angry Birds that could be placed in a handmade slingshot.
“When the people see that they’re enjoying it,” said Derek Duron, a senior electrical engineering major, “they see how, ‘Oh, the Chess Club is actually doing something for the community. Maybe they’re good for the community.’”
That morning, the Chess Club held a tournament with students participating. The results are yet to be posted but can soon be found at https://www.utrgv.edu/hdss/orgs/chessclub/index.htm.
Duron, an ambassador for the club, said the club president created the slingshot and later thought to add Angry Birds for HESTEC.
Throughout the day, attendees enjoyed music from bands and DJs, including UTRGV Mariachi Aztalán and UTRGV Salsa Band on the main stage.
UTRGV thanked the sponsors and community for their support and participation with a fun-filled day.
H-E-B Registered Dietitian JoAnn Martinez asks Nicole Guzman what the better choice of bread is for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
