"Thomas Ray Garcia’s literary debut, The River Runs, has been selected as a finalist in the 'Best Collection of Short Stories (English)' category by the International Latino Book Awards." Read More

"El Curso de la Raza is more than a memoir; it's a testament to the enduring spirit of Chicano activism and the quest for social justice. Montemayor's journey exemplifies the profound impact of individual agency and collective action in reshaping narratives and reclaiming cultural heritage.." Read More

"This intriguing collection of short stories is reminiscent of Gloria Anzaldua’s Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza. While The River Runs does not contain poetry, the prose is often lyrical and swells with imagery and symbolism. The Rio Grande is more than a separation or natural border; it is an open vein flowing with blood, sweat, tears, and desperation." Read More

"Garcia is promoting his latest book, The River Runs, which is a collection of short stories about present life along the Texas-Mexico border, as seen by the complex characters.” Read More

"Thomas Ray Garcia, a Pharr native, is the winner of the 2022 Américo Paredes Literary Arts Prize for fiction. The contest was judged by author Tim Z. Hernandez, who selected Garcia’s short story volume The River Runs: Stories published by FlowerSong Press in McAllen." Read More

"I did not know Valley history until I felt the need to discover my fronterizo identity. Far from home, I strove to know my home so I could know myself." Read More

"The new SBOE voted 8-5 to remove its suggestion to the Texas Legislature 'to reject all attempts to divert public dollars away from public schools in the form of vouchers… or any other mechanisms that have the effect of reducing funding to public schools.'” Read More

"As a former Democratic candidate for SBOE District 2, I cannot help but express concern for the board’s rightward shift under Mr. LJ Francis, who will expand the GOP majority to 10-5."

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"Fighting back against some of the most regressive policies in politics today, from limiting free speech to diverting taxpayer funds to a select few individuals, starts with getting involved in education races." Read More

"I have seen first-hand the gaps in our K-12 education system across multiple schools in Hidalgo County, and I have a few ideas for where we can close the gaps in our statewide curriculum standards. It’s not enough to say we must move away from the STAAR test. We must also move toward something greater for our students."

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"When he was just 19 and studying at Princeton University, Thomas R. Garcia went back to his alma mater, PSJA ISD and told the then superintendent, Daniel P. King, that he wanted to give back." Read More

"Two Democratic candidates competing for the District 2 seat on the State Board of Education faced off in a forum Monday hosted by Futuro RGV. Thomas Garcia and Michael Vargas are both in a five-man primary race for the spot which incumbent Ruben Cortez is vacating. They were the only candidates to show up for the forum, although candidate Victor Perez did submit a written statement." Read More

"For many years I have been working on college access, getting high school seniors into college. And for so long I have seen young people who want to do good in their community. They just don’t know how. They don’t have the platform. Throughout this campaign I hope I can give them that platform to get more civically engaged." Read More

"The executive director of a nonprofit that provides mentoring to high school students pursuing a college education has announced he is running as a Democrat for District 2 of the State Board of Education." Read More

"A recipient of UCLA’s Carolyn See Graduate Fellowship in Southern California & Los Angeles Literature, Garcia is an accomplished creative writer, working on short stories and poetry about the U.S./Mexico border as well as co-authoring Speak with Style, a book series that helps children and young adults improve their public speaking.." Read More

"As a Princeton undergraduate, Thomas Ray Garcia ’16 began mentoring students from his Texas high school during summer breaks. The near-peer mentoring program evolved over the years into the College Scholarship Leadership Access Program (CSLAP), a nonprofit that serves high school students living near the Texas-Mexico border."  Read More

The idea for the book series came about during Garcia's time at Princeton, when he joined a club called Speak with Style and met one of his mentors, Matt Eventoff, an advisor for the student organization. Before Garcia graduated, the two had the idea to work on Speechless, merging Garcia's passion for writing with the practical need to help children improve their public speaking skills. Read More

Back in 2017, a Pharr resident was curious about the history. He made it his mission to make sure the Mexican-American civil rights movement was remembered. “I realized we needed more than a bench, so applied to the state historical commission in 2017 for a historical marker,” said Garcia.

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“Outside the traditional roles of teacher or counselor, near-peer mentors connect with mentees on levels beyond academics: They open life pathways that otherwise seem closed to low-income students from the  U.S.-Mexico border.” Read More

“Normally the group would be hosting college access workshops at local high schools and providing near-peer mentorship for graduating students. However, thanks to a unique partnership with the Intercultural Development Research Association and Arise Adelante, CSLAP is now offering parents bilingual assistance with online instructional tools like Google Classroom and software like Zoom.” Read More

“When communities work together to educate their children, we all prosper,” said Thomas Ray Garcia, CSLAP executive director. “Connecting CSLAP mentors to families has enabled students’ distance learning to continue unabated during these trying times.” Read More

"In addition to ensuring a smooth transition to college for students, we are uplifting Rio Grande Valley communities by addressing directly the precarious living conditions of low-income high school and college students." Read More

"When I introduce myself as being from Princeton University and having graduated at the top of my class, high school students automatically assume I’m not from the barrio and not from their school district and not even from the Valley. I tell them I am an alumnus from this school district, that I sat at the same school desks and that I came from the same neighborhood. It becomes easy for them to connect with me." Read More

"My college application days have long passed, but I still vividly remember when I had no mentor but myself. Remembering my own difficulties while applying to Princeton, from learning about the concept of college to writing essays, motivates me to serve as an alumni mentor for my school district." Read More

"We are trying to redevelop this idea of what college could be, the love of learning and this idea that you go to college to have a transformative experience that really can be fun.” Read More

"And while Garcia has found his place at Princeton, he has not forgotten his home or his rocky college transition... perhaps his most significant work is back home in Texas, where he has co-founded a summer college-mentoring program for high school students in the Rio Grande Valley. More than 50 students participated last summer, its second year of operation. Garcia hopes it will continue to grow. He sees it as his way to give back." Read More