About Thomas
Thomas Ray Garcia is an educator, author, and entrepreneur from Pharr, Texas. Throughout his 12 years of experience in K-12 and higher education, Thomas has taught in the classroom and spearheaded programs focused on college readiness and family engagement.
At age 19, Thomas founded the College Scholarship Leadership Access Program. CSLAP offers courses on college essay writing, financial aid, and leadership development for high school students. Through CSLAP’s near-peer mentor initiatives, Thomas empowered high school graduates to give back to their schools by providing students guidance and support on the college application process.
After incorporating CSLAP as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Thomas served as executive director. Under Thomas’ leadership, CSLAP introduced scholarship programs, expanded mentorship initiatives, partnered with community groups like ARISE Adelante, and launched a five-figure community aid fund during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, Thomas joined the board of directors as chairman.
As of 2025, CSLAP has directly impacted more than 2,000 students.
As a high school teacher, Thomas developed and taught lessons on critical writing, college readiness, and service learning. Aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), these lesson plans continue to form CSLAP’s curriculum. Currently, Thomas is an English professor at South Texas College, where he teaches both dual enrollment high schoolers and adult learners. As a college professor, Thomas provides his students the guidance he once needed as a first-generation college student from a single-parent household.
Thomas earned his bachelor’s degree in English at Princeton University. As an undergraduate, Thomas co-founded the Princeton Hidden Minority Council and wrote blogs for prospective students through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Through the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship, he received mentorship on becoming a leader in higher education and advocating for the humanities.
Thomas earned his first master’s degree in English from UCLA, where he concentrated in writing pedagogy and composition. At UCLA, he taught courses in composition, literature, and creative writing. He earned his second master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from UTRGV.
Beyond the classroom, Thomas writes and publishes books about South Texas. He is the author of the award-winning book The River Runs: Stories and co-author of El Curso de la Raza, a historical memoir of the South Texas Chicano Movement. In 2024, he co-founded an independent publishing press, Beyond Borders Books, dedicated to publishing authors from border communities.
