La Joya ISD Parent Named National GEAR UP Family Leader of the Year

Representing Region One ESC GEAR UP and La Joya ISD’s Palmview High School, Maria Del Rosario Gazca, mother of sophomore Rosvelt Ortiz, was named GEAR UP Family Leader of the Year by the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP). The announcement was made July 15, 2025, at the NCCEP/GEAR UP National Conference in San Francisco, California.

According to the organization, the GEAR UP Family Leader of the Year is passionate and committed to the GEAR UP movement and the goal of ensuring that college access and success is available to all students.

Hailing from Palmview, Texas, Gazca stood out among nominees from across the country for her resilience and transformation. During the conference, Gazca took the stage to thank her family and the Region One ESC GEAR UP team.

“I am still struggling to understand how I was selected for something so meaningful,” Gazca said. “My dream didn’t begin with opportunities and support. I didn’t have access to programs like GEAR UP when I was growing up.”

At age 16, Gazca left high school and earned her GED.

“I did not pursue anything beyond that because I did not believe those doors were meant for someone like me,” she said. “That changed when GEAR UP entered my life; not through me, but through my son.”

Gazca said watching her son engage with Region One ESC’s GEAR UP team gave her a new perspective on seizing opportunities.

“I saw how Region One GEAR UP staff offered him support, resources and hope,” she said. “Then something more powerful happened: Those opportunities were extended to me.”

Gazca began attending Region One GEAR UP family workshops, earned a cake decorating certification and became a Region One ESC-certified Temporary Teacher.

“Those accomplishments didn’t just fill my time,” she said. “They changed my life.”

She now serves as a substitute teacher at Palmview High School.

“The pride my family feels and the support I’ve received is something I never imagined,” said the La Joya ISD parent. “And it all began because Region One ESC GEAR UP believed families, not just students, deserve a second chance.”

Ending her speech, Gazca delivered a heartfelt message to GEAR UP and the Region One ESC team for unlocking her potential.

“For many years, my life was at pause,” she said. “Not knowing what to do. Not having any direction. Everything was the same. When the Region One GEAR UP team invited me to participate, they hit a button that unpaused my life. Because of them, I have the motivation to pursue more in life.”