UTRGV Brownsville lecturer named faculty advisor of the year

Sylvia Robles, lecturer in the department of International Business and Entrepreneurship at the Robert C. Vackar College of Business & Entrepreneurship, is pictured May 21 at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Brownsville campus. Robles has been chosen as the faculty advisor of the year for the university.(Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald)

After being an entrepreneur and a leader for several years, Sylvia Robles started her teaching career in Monterrey, Mexico, not knowing that one day she would end up in Brownsville creating one of the most successful programs UTRGV hosts, which is the “Adopt a Startup,” where students collaborate with local businesses that are starting their entrepreneurship journey.

A photo of the first group that participated in the Adopt A Startup program from 2017 is displayed on lecturer Sylvia Robles’ desk May 21 in her office at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Brownsville campus.(Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald)

This year, Robles, who is a lecturer in the department of International Business and Entrepreneurship at the Robert C. Vackar College of Business & Entrepreneurship, was recognized as the faculty advisor of the year after several years of being nominated by the students.

“I was so surprised. I wasn’t even planning to attend the ceremony, which was online, because I always get nominated but I never win,” she said laughing. “But I’ve never felt disappointed, never. Because what I have done with my students I enjoy it, and we have done a lot. … It gives a sense of accomplishment.”

Adopt a Startup has UTRGV students actively impact the local business community by adopting startups and supporting entrepreneurs in the development of a business plan using the Business Model Canvas, the official website reads. Local businesses who have been part of Adopt a Startup are “Amor y Pan,” “Café Canasto,” “Crepe Town,” “IQ’S Juice Bar” and more.

“I teach entrepreneurship because, me, myself, I have been an entrepreneur in many businesses. I didn’t know what I know now, that I share with my students throughout my courses. If I would have known what I know now, I would have avoided many mistakes when I was starting,” she said.

“Sometimes you can dream big, but don’t think out of the box. I don’t ask my students to think out of the box, I ask them to get rid of the box. That’s what we need, to get rid of everything that we have in our minds that stop us from doing the things we want. I know not everybody is as adventurous as I am, or risk-taker, but I push my students to go travel, learn, leave their home.”

Robles is also the recipient of other awards such as the “2020 UTRGV Outstanding International Female Faculty,” “2020 Women-Owned Small Business Advocate,” “2018 Women Business Champion of the Year” by the U.S. Small Business Administration Lower Rio Grande Valley District, and appointed “2018 UTRGV Community Engaged Scholarship Faculty Fellow.”

Since the pandemic started, she and the students started to find other ways to also help the community and are collaborating with United Way of Southern Cameron County for the food distribution program.

“The things that I like the most is to connect with the students and, of course, to really see them growing after having the experience of collaborating, of working with teams, to impact the community,” she said.

“To see how they really are agents of change, to transform the environment by the things they do. Sometimes they don’t believe how amazing they are, how creative they are. My job is to push them a little bit, out of their comfort zone.”