Esteban del Angel
Media Production Specialist
Associate of Arts in General Studies
Fall 2024

51���� employees Jose Arambul and Addie Scoggin rode their bikes for 250 miles in two days in the blistering South Texas heat. The ride was for a good cause, and both crossed the finish line accomplished. ��

Jose Arambul serves as Executive Director of High School Programs and Services for TSC.��

Outside of his work with the college, Arambul is a fitness man and noted challenge accepter competing in triathlons and rides around the Valley.����

The ride from the RGV to San Antonio is 250 miles, split over two days. Arambul has completed the ride three times. ��

“Every year crossing the finish line is emotional and I cry,” Arambul said. “It is not an easy ride but when you see the kids at the end handing out medals or those who can ride customized bikes crossing the finish line, you realize why you did what you did. All the pain and suffering that we go through to get there is nothing compared to what they have to live daily. “��

Scoggin was a first-time rider and toughed out the intense heat to complete the ride.����

“Hands down, this was the hardest cycling event of my life,” She admitted. “I made sure to drink a full bottle of electrolytes and pop and energy gel every hour to make it through the 100+ degree temperatures. To my surprise, my body didn’t disappoint. It felt like a machine on day one, blasting through the heat for over 140 miles, but I owe that to several months of training.”��

Day two got tougher for Scoggin, the first-timer…but the completion more than made up for the pain.��

“Day two was a different story,” she said. “I developed severe saddle soreness, and I might as well been riding a cheese grater. When I caught a glimpse of the finish line in downtown San Antonio, I started crying. I did not anticipate that emotional release, but the crowds of children who were benefiting from the funds raised were just too much for me to handle. I feel like a changed person after witnessing that.”
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The ride is organized by Casey Swanson in support of his daughter Suzannah, a McAllen-area woman who compete in wheelchair racing as a teenager with Spina Bifida. The two-day ride supports the Suzannah Smiles non-profit corporation. ��

https://www.suzannahsmiles.org/

Maggie Solis is a staple at 51���� (TSC). She has been an accounting instructor at TSC for ten years, but her career spans 21 years, including the 51����/University of Texas Brownsville partnership days. As a TSC Accounting Technology program instructor, Solis is also the Program Coordinator.

Countless students have acquired their start as accountants in her classes. Many residents in the greater community have also benefited from the free income tax assistance she provides through her volunteer work with United Way’s program, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA).��

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently recognized Solis for her longstanding dedication to providing this service to the community she serves. She has volunteered at VITA for twenty years.

IRS representatives Robert Kerner, Grace Torres, and Maria Bustamante, the United Way of Southern Cameron County’s VITA Coordinator Mayela Moreno, and CEO Traci Wickett, presented a certificate of recognition to Solis during this year’s opening of the VITA program at the International Technology, Education and Commerce Center (ITECC) in late January.

“What she does to give back to the community and the people here is priceless,” said IRS representative Grace Torres. “She has volunteered for many years. She has helped for many years by running this site and getting her students to do the same.”

During tax season, Solis and her students spend countless Saturdays volunteering to assist community members making less than $58K in preparing their taxes, and their efforts do not go unnoticed. When Solis’ award photo was shared on TSC’s social media platforms, there was an outpouring of support and “thank yous” from students she has taught and mentored throughout her career as an instructor.

Solis is a firm believer in the VITA program. She strives to help the community she serves by guiding and educating them on the best practices to save money on taxes.

“Not only do we provide the free income tax service, but in the process, we are educating the community,” said Solis. “Part of the education we provide is to inform them about the credits available, especially the Earned Income Tax Credit. When someone has dependents, that credit will give them a higher tax refund at the end.”

Solis’s students get valuable service-learning experience by working on real-life scenarios preparing individual taxes while at the same time fulfilling a community need.��

“You get to see the students grow because it adds value to the understanding of what they are doing since these are real tax returns,” Solis said.

IRS representatives agree with Solis and mention that in many cases, volunteer students with VITA credentials are recruited at a higher salary grade than entry-level because of the experience they have acquired volunteering in the program.

Maggie Solis and the accounting program can be reached at 956-295-3575 or via e-mail at��maggie.solis@tsc.edu.