Posts by Ashley Thornton
Nurturing Creativity in Waco, It worked for me!
By Sarah Frances Moran I’ve written poetry since I was a teenager and since that time was very good at keeping it nice and hidden in my journals. It made the occasional appearance with girlfriends (girls love, love poems!) and the occasional appearance with family. Otherwise, it was never shared. Never. The thought of sharing…
Read MoreLife together: Being a good neighbor in Waco
By Eric Martin I love living in downtown Waco. We’ve got a gorgeous river, a sprawling urban park, a charming business district, a friendly and diverse community, and world-class higher education. As I travel through Texas and around the world, my fondness for the city has made me a bit defensive about it. Defensive because…
Read MoreProsper Waco: We need YOU!
By Matthew Polk The Prosper Waco initiative only works if community members come up with ideas that we can put into action together. You know more about your life and your community than anyone. You know what it will take for you to be able to take the next step toward success. Prosper Waco is…
Read MoreWonderful Waco, lots of Nutrition, and some Zumba… What a summer.
by Kaylyn Schultz I’m a big believer in the idea of “loving where you live”. Not just ‘liking’ where you live but loving it—loving the city, its spirit, and its people. Loving on the people (those amazing fellow Wacoans) and helping out those people in any way one can—whether it be mighty and life changing…
Read MoreWaco Hispanic Museum planned to acknowledge an important part of our history and culture
by Louis Gayton Garcia Many of the families of Mexican descent living in Waco today are descended from families who arrived here in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. In 1719, using a map created by cartographer Guillame Delisle, French explorer Jean Baptiste Bena de la Harpe said he had found a place called Honecha…
Read MoreProsper Waco: Them is us
By Ashley Bean Thornton It’s been interesting to see the conversation about Prosper Waco in the Trib lately. Is Prosper Waco a wise investment that will give us the traction we need to make progress against our stubbornly high rate of poverty? Or, is it a waste of time and money wrapped in a thick…
Read MoreCreating a Life Worth Living with Dialectical Behavior Therapy
By Amanda L. Smith, LMSW As a social worker who is living and working in Waco, it’s important to me that our community has access to quality and affordable healthcare. Sadly, prioritizing mental health issues often goes ignored or is dismissed. I’m deeply honored to work with people who are ready to look for a…
Read MoreWhat to Expect When You’re Expecting School to Start
By Stephen Swanson Hey! Psst! Worried about the coming school year? I want to tell you a secret. Teachers have as much anxiety about the start of the school year as students do. As the weeks and days count off until Fall, we find it harder to sleep as plans run over and over in…
Read MoreOne TSTC for Texas
(The Heart of Texas P-20 Council includes representatives from K-12 education, higher education and employers. They meet regularly to help coordinate efforts to launch our young people into productive lives as workers and citizens. This post is one in a monthly series of posts intended to share information about the work of this important group…
Read MoreThe infinite faces of México
(Para leer este artículo en español, pulse aquí) By Dr. Cristina Cleveland When I moved to Waco, coming from Mexico City (the biggest and most populated city in the world), the warmth and kindness from Texans (specifically Wacoans) took me by surprise. As a new mother of twins, overwhelmed just to think about doing groceries,…
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