Reel Reunion: Former PSJA-TV educator, students celebrate book, past achievements

PHARR — You can ask anyone who was there, it was like something out of a TV segment.

It was a reunion of sorts as former students from the PSJA-TV program gathered together at the Pharr Memorial Library last Saturday to celebrate their past achievements. Achievements that made it into a published book — “Roll the Credits!” — which was crafted by none other than their former instructor of the program.

Reynaldo L. Martinez Jr., Ph.D., was the instructor for the PSJA-TV program from 1978-1988 for the district. At the helm, Martinez guided his students through courses and helped prepare them to become successful professionals in a challenging industry. Whether it was teaching students to be behind or in front of the camera, the instructor did it all with his students. 

One has to remember, during this era, TV was nothing like how it is today. However, after coming from the Edinburg school district as a video producer, Martinez then took on the job of teaching students in a vocational TV production program. In the words of Martinez and former PSJA theater director Gilbert Zepeda, there was a "gold mine."

From then to now, it’s a memorable history that’s preserved through the book. Throughout the years, the San Benito native collected newspaper clippings, memorabilia and photographs — all which highlight the achievements of the program and its students. 

“I think in terms of the genesis of this book, I have saved pictures, newspaper articles, memorabilia and I just put them in a box," Martinez said. "Then after I decided to leave PSJA, I kept that box with me. My wife Minnie would say, ‘Why are you keeping that box?’ I’ll tell her, ‘One of these days, I’ll do something with it.’”

Martinez said that time was something that he didn’t have a lot of as he continued his trek in education. Although he said he wanted to be a teacher and to make an impact, the San Benito native was busy. His flourishing in the education field found him as a university professor and even an administrator. After PSJA, he traveled across the country and taught at institutions including Oklahoma State University, University of Maryland and more recently, Valdosta State University in Georgia.

Upon retiring in 2017, Martinez did what all retirees do — they made use of their newfound time.

“So, I sat down and took all those various pieces out of the box and I organized them by year — and it brought back floods of memories,” Martinez said, being inspired to write after viewing his collection. “And I said, ‘Wow, this is a great story, I think I’m going to write this down.’ And so I started writing.”

Things started to fall into place for Martinez as he pitched the book idea to a former colleague of his who worked in publishing, and what he described as a “Gathering of Champions,” Martinez would join his former students over at a local restaurant. The students would then encourage Martinez to start up a Facebook page to preserve photos of moments and memories.

“As I was finishing the book, (I thought) something’s missing, something’s not right here,” he said. “It’s the students’ stories; it’s their story of how the program impacted their life after they finished — either personally or professionally.”

The Facebook page proved to be useful because Martinez put out a “call” asking his former students that if they wanted to contribute to the book then they could. About 20 of the students had their testimonials put into the book. 

More so, some of the former students spoke and read their pieces during the event. One by one, they gave their testimonials on how the program and how Martinez impacted their lives. Not only did they find gems through the course work but some also thanked the program for helping them on a personal level. In addition, a documentary is also being produced by them.

Omar Cantu — who has had a professional career for 30 years — worked at legacy institution Pan American University as a Television Specialist, he would then stick around for the school's merger and as he read from his testimonial, he gave a heartfelt appreciation for Martinez.

Another former student, Melody Cisneros Milstead, spoke during the event and said the program helped her as well. Cisneros Milstead said the program was sort of a safe haven for her.

^{Melody Cisneros Milstead, a former student of the PSJA-TV program, speaks during the book event May 24 at the Pharr Memorial Library. | P.J. Hernandez/Advance News Journal}
 

“Back in school, I had just moved from Arizona to PSJA and I was getting bullied. But we didn’t have a word for it back then,” she said. “... I was one of the first ones, the counselors didn’t know what to do with me, and so I didn’t go through what everybody else did. The school kind of pushed me into this class. And I was so appreciative of all the good things that I inherited from this class.”

From finding a sense of community to telling funny tales, laughs and tears were shared during the event. In a way for this special group of former students, the Pharr Memorial Library was like a time capsule. As former students spoke, a display of old articles showcased the achievements of the students. One piece showed an old article from The Pharr Press and the classroom that was built for the students in Fall 1979. Other pieces showed that the program put on some great talent with them being recognized as first place winners in their respective contests.

Another student, Pedro “Pete” Tijerina, found himself in the program and for a few years found himself trying to find work — more so, trying to find more meaning as one does in their life. Tijerina found the passion for working the camera during the PSJA-TV days, but after being hired as a paraprofessional years after and then working for Weslaco ISD, he was able to continue working the camera in his professional career afterward.

^{Former student Pedro "Pete" Tijerina speaks during the event. | P.J. Hernandez/Advance News Journal}
 

The collection of stories and newspaper articles, as well as memorabilia proved worthwhile as the former students and teacher held their own copies in their hands. After all, they were holding their own history.

“But to me, what’s most important is the preservation of our history — of who we are, of who we were and of what we did. We shouldn’t forget," Martinez said. "We should never forget the accomplishments that we did together. So many times, history is forgotten. Sometimes, even people want to erase it, and that’s not a good thing. We need to preserve it. We need to promote it and we need to share it.”

Martinez and the book both emphasize the importance of education and the driven impact it can have on not only the students, but the teachers as well.

“One of the things that I always aspired to as a teacher, again, is to inspire my students,” he said. “... The heart of teaching, is teaching with a heart. Let your heart lead the way. And if you let your heart lead the way, you’ll be glad you did.”

See more photos here: https://www.anjournal.com/community-education/gallery-former-psja-tv-edu...