PSJA store gives special needs students workforce training

PHARR — Special needs students now have a place to gain real-world experience with the opening of the PSJA Family Shop, a school district-run gift shop that also serves as a job training site.

Unveiled Friday, Oct. 18, the shop is the district’s commitment in creating opportunities and hands-on experience in retail management for the students in the PSJA (Pharr-San Juan-Alamo) ISD Pathways Toward Independence (PTI) and LIFE program.

PTI is an adult transition program for students with special needs after high school. It focuses on developing students to reach their potential in employability skills and independent functioning skills. The program also partners with South Texas College to provide instruction in continuing education courses.

“They’ve already finished their graduation requirements and those students that meet the criteria are able to transition into PTI so that they can continue employment training, employment skills, because that’s their goal,” PTI teacher and store manager Sarah Gonzalez said. “Most of the students with disabilities are not able to go to college, and so employment is the goal.

“We don’t want them to stay home for the rest of their lives and just sit on the couch and watch TV or just stay on their tablets. We want them to be productive community members.”

Receiving a tour from PTI student Edgar Vargas alongside Gonzalez, the duo went through every area in the store and the hard work behind it.

Students working at the retail space gain experience in management, customer service and other essential workplace skills to prepare them for life. At the moment, six PTI students work at the shop.

Vargas, wearing a nice business casual suit, strutted around the store confidently explaining the different products and even talking about the work that goes behind the products with his fellow classmates.

The young man is originally from the Houston area and moved down to the Valley for the PSJA school district program after his cousin also went through it.

Vargas is autistic but that does not stop him from expressing himself.

“It may not be as bad as some would say but mine is still somewhere there, just differently,” he said. “I would say my ability is lots of talk, my imagination and ideas, creativity and skills may be way different from others … I make sure to keep a balance of showing off my silly ways … but still sharing my creative ideas but at the same time to be more careful and mature.”

About 95% of all the items in the store are made in-house, Gonzalez said. From T-shirts to mums, the shop is a one-stop-shop for anyone wanting to get some “PSJA swag.”

Learning to make these products is teaching the students valuable skills that could be used in future employment.

Aside from making the merch, sorting inventory and working the cash register, the shop also offers baked goods from the students and will soon offer floral services and a photography studio managed by the students.

Gonzalez specifically teaches culinary arts, cake decorating and employability skills to the students. The PTI program currently has around 62 students.

The student workers earn $11.42 per hour, supported by a grant from Texas Workforce Solutions. Three students work a few hours each day.

“I just never expected years later that this would ever happen,” Vargas said. “I always thought I was gonna be just an ordinary person with not that much, just stuck at home doing nothing.”

Gonzalez also is in charge of connecting students to local businesses that can offer a tour of their business, skills and even employment opportunities.

With the first day in business on Oct. 18, she said the experience was heartwarming.

“It was just a beautiful feeling to know that the opportunity for them was finally here and through the district with all their support.” Gonzalez said. “It’s an actual store where they get to feel like they were at a real job because it is a real job and it’s just an amazing feeling. I teared up and I couldn’t stop. There was no tissue around, and I had like tears burned into my face, like my makeup was dripping. I was a mess that day.”

A motto that is used by the students is “Teamwork makes the dream work”. Gonzalez said all the students will shout back the motto at her whenever they are together.

“They have a piece of my heart, I love them all and I believe in them,” she said. “I tell them everyday and I do not treat them like children, they’re young adults.”

The PSJA Family Shop is located at 201 S. Gumwood St. in Pharr and is open from 11:30 a.m.to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.

With Vargas dropping words of wisdom the whole tour, he ended the interview with one last one.

“Belief is the strongest thing to exist … when we have our belief, it will strengthen us to get to places that we both want to and need to as well.” he said.