Her smile was infectious from the moment she opened the door to her San Benito home, and throughout a 90-minute interview she did while sitting comfortably in her living room overlooking the resaca.
She talked about her family, her career and her passions. It’s clear, Velma De Los Santos loves who she is and what she does.
Jo Rae Wagner looked most comfortable as she walked into her restaurant and posed for a picture with the kitchen in the background.
She claimed to not be very photogenic, but it was clear, that was a different story in the restaurant.
It was easy to see her pride and strength in the way she stood and the perfect tilt of her head. That strength, intelligence, work ethic and the long journey from where they started is what ties together their stories.
It’s about the trials and tribulations. The successes, the failures and overcoming obstacles to achieve something special.
Velma and Jo Rae have battled obstacles and they have been victorious in their lives. But you also should know, they are just two of the many successful, influencial, motivating and encouraging women here in the Valley. And we will tell you about as many of these women as we can here in the coming months.
So, welcome to the premier edition of Inspire, a locally-produced magazine aimed at empowering and informing women of the RGV.
We couldn’t be happier to produce this quality publication for women of all ages in our area. It has been in the works for a few months now and it has been on my mind since the first day I arrived here in the valley in June 2015.
Our goal for this magazine is to bring you closer to your fellow women here in the Valley. We will have delightful and educational stories about women of the RGV as well as focus on fashion, health, fitness, cuisine, finance, and relationships among many other topics.
The objective is to provide an intriguing collection of stories and pieces that will energize and enlighten any woman of the Valley. We will be creating this magazine quarterly for those of the Valley to enjoy.
These editions can be found free on stands, in retail stores, salons, hospitals, waiting rooms and more throughout Harlingen, San Benito and beyond.
Don’t miss out on any Inspire magazine as we expect they will just keep getting better and better as the months roll along. One reason for that – the roles women in this area play.
Just like Velma and Jo Rae, many are business owners. But we also have school leaders, teachers, those in the health professions, finance and more who make a difference in people’s lives every day.
We can’t wait to tell you all about the women of the Rio Grande Valley.
This is just the beginning.
Enjoy this first edition of Inspire.
