Garza: Creating a pathway for the next generation of business leaders

I am incredibly grateful to McAllen Economic Development Corporation, Keith Patridge, and Mark E. Garcia for being true champions of education and economic development, and for giving our UTRGV Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship marketing students the opportunity to support their efforts. 

This collaboration, facilitated by the innovative Career Bridge experiential learning management system, has been an invaluable experience for our students to bridge the gap between classroom and careers in a meaningful way.

A special thank you to (MEDC’s) Susie Flores for her incredible mentorship of our student team. Under her guidance, Karla Medrano, Susana Ibarra Amaya, Melanie Garza, and Regina Cerna Matamoros created an outstanding international marketing campaign that has already garnered significant results, including interest from two Mexican companies considering McAllen for their operations.

This project was one of 47 similar initiatives managed by myself and Yaw Sam, MBA that engaged over 200 marketing students in transformative work-based experiential learning aimed at supporting the local business community and preparing our students for the workforce. 

Through Career Bridge’s Student-Led Agency curriculum, we enhance pedagogy by infusing business development and project management best practices, training students to be consultants who apply the theory and skills they are learning to support the community with real-world business services.

Our project with McAllen EDC exemplifies the power of experiential learning, community engagement, mentorship, and hands-on experience in shaping the skills and values of our students. I am proud of their dedication and hard work, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact of their efforts on the community.

Thank you, McAllen EDC, for your continued support and for fostering such valuable connections between academia and industry. Together, we are shaping the future of our community and creating a pathway for the next generation of business leaders.

If you’re interested in learning more about our program and how we can collaborate to bridge academia and industry, feel free to connect with me. 

Editor’s Note: The above guest column was penned by educator and coach Eloy Garza. It first appeared on Garza’s LinkedIn page. Garza is a lecturer in marketing at the UTRGV Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship. He is also found and CEO of Career Bridge. Garza can be reached by email via: egarza@career-bridge.com