Benavidez: Reflecting on SCIF’s 50 Years: A Journey of Impact

RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas – Rose Benavidez, president of Starr County Industrial Foundation, won warm applause when she provided telling statistics that show a vastly improved economic and educational picture in her county.

Benavidez gave the wrap-up remarks at SCIF’s 50th Anniversary Dinner, held at Julabe Reception Hall No. 2 in Rio Grande City on Nov. 21.

Benavidez said that, 30 years ago, Starr County had an unemployment rate of 50 percent. Today it is 8.2 percent, she said, to applause from the audience.

Thirty years ago, educational attainment, as measured by those with a high school diploma, was 20 percent, she said. Today it is over 60 percent. Applause.

Thirty years ago, over 60 percent of Starr County children lived in poverty, Benavidez explained. Today, 67 percent of the county’s children “have an opportunity to be touched in some shape or form by higher education,” she said. Yet more applause.

The last part of the evening was titled, “Reflecting on 50 Years: A Journey of Impact.” Benavidez was given the task of providing the reflection. 

She said she had been charged with “trying to put together a message that somehow encapsulates 50 years of great things.” The statistics she gave helped illustrate those great things.

“What I can tell you is that we’re incredibly fortunate and humbled to be afforded the opportunity to serve the community. It’s an honor of a lifetime. And in this capacity, we have had the opportunity to share the story of this community,” Benavidez said.

“For instance, we’ve been able to tell the story of how some individuals, 50 years ago, came together as visionaries and understood that the only way that this community could progress was ensuring that there was a united effort from every corner of this county to work selflessly to ensure that every single person in this community had the same opportunity to do better.”

Benavidez paid tribute to SCIF’s board of directors, past and present. Among those she acknowledged were Sam Vale, Noel Benavidez, Richard Gutierrez, Sam Ramos, and Romero Lopez.

“The list is countless. But what they all had in common was the willingness to sacrifice their time and make our community a little better,” she said. 

Benavidez admitted that, given the audience, she did not really have to run through all the positive statistics she gave.

“You will know those stories because you have been instrumental in ensuring that those statistics (happened),” she said.

But the work is not finished, she explained.

“We can’t stop, because the work is never done. We must continue to collaborate to ensure that we make this community better, that we make this state better, that we make we make this country better, that we make this world better, because that is the true marker of the success of any organization.”

No single organization has been responsible for the turnaround, Benavidez said, as she concluded her remarks.

“When we talk about what the Industrial Foundation has done, it’s not a simple answer, because the truth of the matter, ladies and gentlemen, is that progress takes time,” she said.

“But the truth is in the results that we see every day. And no one specifically is responsible for that. We are all collectively a part of that journey. 

“So, we want to end tonight simply by saying, thank you. By telling you how fortunate we are to be part of the effort to make Starr County – the place that we call home – a better place for us now. And for those that came before us, it has been one hell of a ride these last 50 years. But trust me when I tell you, the best is yet to come. Here’s to another Great 50. Good night.”

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