By the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce Staff
What is it about Waco that makes it so appealing to new businesses? At the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, our economic development team is constantly working to grow the economy through the attraction of new businesses to the region and the expansion of our existing industry base. Having already announced $119 million in new industrial investment for 2018, the level of interest in the community is strong. Not only has Waco become a desired destination for visitors, more businesses and individuals are taking notice of our strong assets and choosing this city as the ideal location for both professional and personal success. In fact, McLennan County is outpacing the seven-county region, Texas and the U.S. in labor force, making Waco a magnet for talent and commerce.
Here are five things that we think make Waco a great place to do business:
1. Waco is centrally-located. Waco’s location in the “Texas Triangle” positions the community as a central point for connectivity and growth. Identified as one of 11 mega-regions in the United States, is roughly formed around the D/FW region, Austin, San Antonio and Houston, with Waco located right in the middle. A recent article published by D Magazine in Dallas, indicates this region is home to more than 20 million people and produces nearly $1.3 trillion a year in economic output, ranking 17th among world economies. Interstate 35 also plays a big part in Waco’s economic success, providing easy access throughout Texas and the United States.
2. Waco is home to five outstanding, diverse institutions of higher education. Waco is fortunate to have higher education opportunities for people of each and every walk of life, which is important to businesses who are looking for a strong talent pipeline. Baylor University, the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of Texas and the largest Baptist university in the world, offers a combined 258 baccalaureate, masters and doctoral programs, according to the Baylor website. McLennan Community College (MCC) offers multiple associate degree programs at affordable costs that are designed to be transferable to bachelor’s degree programs at senior-level institutions. Through its partnerships at the University Center at MCC with universities across Texas, including, Texas Tech University at Waco and Tarleton State University Waco, students can easily transition into affordable bachelor’s degree programs without having to leave Waco. Texas State Technical College (TSTC) is the technical training college for Texas. Headquartered in Waco, this diverse two-year technical college focused on student success in learning and preparation for future careers offers over 40 associate’s degree and/or certification programs and boasts a high student job placement rate after graduation.
3. Waco provides an awesome quality of life. The cost of living is affordable, and the business climate is supportive and welcoming. With initiatives like Start Up Waco, partnering with resource providers across Greater Waco to provide knowledge, work space and access to capital, entrepreneurs will have more connectivity into the Waco-McLennan County entrepreneurial ecosystem than ever before. Already, new businesses are popping up across the community and finding success entering the marketplace. Waco is home to an abundance of natural resources, including the Brazos River and Lake Waco. Cameron Park is one of the largest municipal parks in the state, with beautiful trees, a natural habitat zoo, access to the Brazos and Bosque rivers, and a huge network of trails that vary from beginner to expert level.
4. Waco has a strong spirit of collaboration. Waco believes in partnering for success. Few places see local governments, the business community, education institutes, and non-profit organizations working together on common goals for growth and success. We all are working together to grow and diversify our economy and create prosperity for everyone.
5. Waco’s flourishing tourism market is evidence of what an incredible place Waco truly is. With over two million visitors every year, it’s obvious that people enjoy visiting Waco. Visitors see Waco in a different light – they meet the kind, loving community of people who live here; they interact with the positive, supportive businesses; they have wonderful experiences that keep them coming back again and again.
Waco has transformed into a truly vibrant community that is primed and ready for new businesses to put down roots. We’re experiencing a very unique, exciting time here in Waco, and we are so thankful to have opportunities to show off our city.
Written by Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce Staff.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.
By Jaja Chen
I often hear individuals make comments about teachers that make it seem as if they have it “well off” because of having summer vacations. While having summer off is a crucial part of teachers’ self-care and work-life balance, we often do not sit and consider the amount of energy, finances, or even time that teachers dedicate throughout the school year – year after year – to managing their classrooms and educating our children daily.
Oftentimes, teachers’ own self-care goes by the wayside because of the immense amount of needs they must tend to in their classrooms, amongst students, and to meet all the tasks and demands they face as a teacher – even outside of the classroom. This can lead to summer being used to “catch up” on sleep, health, and self-care.
While summer can be a huge part of teacher self-care, my hope is that summer is not the ONLY time when teachers are able to take care of themselves.
Here are three ways we as a community can seek to support our teachers in self-care as they return to the new school year:
1.) Honor and encourage our teachers – Coming from a Taiwanese background, educators are highly honored, valued, and esteemed. The culture of honor that East Asian cultures place on teachers is something we can learn from. How can we honor and encourage our teachers throughout the school year? Rather than making comments about how good they have it or how they shouldn’t complain about difficulties on the job due to having summer off, how can we seek to listen to and support our teachers as they deal with ongoing work-life stress?
2.) Support healing from secondary trauma & burnout – Compassion fatigue is a common experience amongst helping professionals and is a combination of secondary trauma and burnout. Secondary trauma occurs when we continually hear about or witness, directly or indirectly, traumatic events that occur to others. Working with students and families daily exposes teachers to traumatic events and can lead to secondary trauma. Burnout, on the other hand, is feelings of ongoing exhaustion and helplessness due to inefficiencies experienced in our jobs. When our teachers experience compassion fatigue, do we judge them or do we seek to understand? Do we point them to resources, such as individual counseling, or do we shame them? As administrators, do we seek to create policies and school cultures that enhance and support teacher self-care? Are we open to our teachers taking time off for their mental health or do we stigmatize mental health recovery?
3.) Volunteer for local school efforts & initiatives – Ensuring that our students and schools are successful and thriving is a community effort. Teachers are not the sole guardians for our children’s mental, emotional, physical health, and educations. We all have a role to play in our communities as we support teachers in their self-care. Part of this is seeing how we can play a role in supporting school initiatives, school events, and to inquire about ways to support schools as volunteers. Recognizing that we have a part to play in supporting our schools helps reduce the burdens placed on teachers to be everything to our children. Ways to be involved include supporting mentoring and tutoring programs that non-profit organizations-including Communities in Schools (CIS) and Prosper Waco – host for local schools. Local churches may also have after-school programs or book clubs to support children such as the STARS Mentoring Program.
The success of our schools requires a community effort.
What are ways you can support your local school today? And if giving of your time and/or finances is not a possibility, are there ways to connect with a fellow teacher and to encourage them as they begin their new school year. My hope is that the task of teacher self-care is seen as a community effort, not just placed on teachers themselves to figure out. There are ways that our culture and perspectives can hinder teachers from thriving in the amazing work they do. Let’s strive for creating a culture of compassion, authenticity, and empathy, as opposed to shame.
Jaja Chen, LMSW, CDWF is a private practice therapist in Waco through Enrichment Training & Counseling Solutions specializing in trauma, compassion fatigue, maternal mental health, and difficult life transitions. As an EMDR Trained Therapist, Jaja’s passion is walking alongside helping professionals whom are healing from PTSD, depression, anxiety, secondary trauma, and burnout. Jaja can be contacted via email at Jaja@enrichmenttcs.com or via webpage at http://enrichmenttcs.com/meet-jaja-chen/
By Luann Jennings
This fall Creative Waco, our local arts agency, will debut an eight-week course in business skills for visual, performing, and literary artists and arts students, along with three special professional development workshops.
The course is based on Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists, developed by Springboard for the Arts in St. Paul, Minnesota. I had the privilege of visiting St. Paul in July (where the high temperature was 83…) to be trained in the curriculum, and I’m excited to share it with Waco’s artists and creatives. I’ve been teaching arts business development and entrepreneurship for a number of years, and the Work of Art program is a terrific framework for starting your creative career or moving it forward. Springboard’s instructors have taught the Work of Art content “at arts organizations, libraries and colleges in over 80 communities in the Upper Midwest, and [it has been] replicated across the country by artists, arts organizations, and colleges and universities.”
The eight sessions will cover career and business planning, goal-setting and productivity, communicating about your work, pricing, record-keeping, legal issues, and more.
We’ll also hold three additional workshops using the Work of Art material. The first will be a free introductory session on Why Artists Need Business Skills, to help potential participants decide whether Work of Art is for them (date and location TBA).
Then, in November, we’ll hold two special workshops. On Saturday, November 3, we’ll cover Marketing, Branding, and Promotion; and on Friday evening, November 16, we’ll talk about Fundraising and Grantwriting, with a special emphasis on the Creative Waco AMP Grant and Texas Commission on the Arts grants. Those registered for the eight-week course may attend the Marketing and Fundraising workshops for free, but registration will also be open to those not enrolled in the course.
Work of Art will meet weekly beginning the week of September 23 and will conclude the week before Thanksgiving. Participants may attend either a morning or weeknight session. The days and location are still being decided, but if you want to learn more when we have the info, sign up for Creative Waco’s enewsletter, follow us on social media, or write to me at luann@creativewaco.org and I’ll send you the info as soon as I have it.
Luann Jennings is the Project Manager for Artist Professional Development at Creative Waco. She is a theatre director and has been working in arts leadership, entrepreneurship, and education for a long time. Luann and her husband Chuck, a jazz guitarist you can find playing locally, moved to Waco from New York City two years ago to invest in the arts community and cultural life here.
by Tabitha Ferguson
Most people think of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, as being something that happens to someone after they return from war…but, the trauma that causes PTSD can be a lot closer than we think, and the PTSD caused by this kind of trauma is the most marginalized and stigmatized silent-growing epidemic in society. People are quick to throw out a diagnosis like bipolar disorder, depression, personality disorder, anxiety disorder, etc. without really doing a thorough assessment and understanding what physically happens to someone who experiences trauma.
Here are some examples of trauma that can cause PTSD: childhood trauma, abuse, neglect (not being wanted, verbal, psychological abuse and bullying, divorcing parents, growing up with substance abuse parents), sexual abuse, domestic violence, loss and abandonment through death or divorce.
PTSD is an invisible illness with symptoms including uninvited memories (flashbacks), deregulated emotions such as anxiety and fear, depression, anger, chronic heartache, insomnia, and night terrors all at once or sporadically. I’ve lived with this disorder my whole life and although I’m no longer broken or suffer with constant symptoms, I still have to address my bruises to maintain my freedom. There was a time, however, that my mind was plagued with uninvited memories and deregulated emotions. This paralyzed me.
I’ve suffered with depression and anxiety since I was as young as 10 years old. I smoked my first cigarette at the age of 11 years old and turned to food for comfort. I’ve suffered with eating disorders, drug addictions, nicotine addictions, self-harm and suicide attempts — all because I didn’t know how to cope with not being loved the proper way. People just assumed I was born with mental illnesses since my mother projected those lies on me to collect a disability check on me. The consequences of her actions retraumatized me, and I believed the lie that something was wrong with me for over 30 years.
When I was moved to two different treatment facilities the summer before my sophomore year, all I remember was the pain I felt because I blamed myself for all the mistreatment in my life. I couldn’t speak fluently about what all I experienced my 15 short years of life back then. All I could do was hurt, medicate, and misbehave. I also believed there was something wrong with me and the same message reverberated in my mind over and over until it took root. “I’m unworthy. I’m not lovable. There must be something wrong with me because my own family doesn’t even want me.” People just saw the behavior attached to those thoughts without knowing the depth of my pain and loaded me up on psych medication as they pushed me straight into the judicial system. I was raised by the systems, and I will never know what it’s like to have loving, supportive parents. I’ve had to grieve this reality as I learned how to parent my two boys alone.
A little over 10 years ago my life was forever changed when someone gave me Joyce Meyer’s book, “Battlefield of the Mind.” For the first time in my life the seed of hope was planted in my heart as I read someone’s story similar to mine. Joyce Meyer also offered a solution that wasn’t your typical quick fix this world tries to offer. At the beginning of my recovery, I was simply just learning how to self-regulate my emotions and function in society. I had no clue that I suffered with PTSD because I was trapped in all of the lies growing up. As I’ve mentioned before, everyone else minimized the abuse and trauma I lived through, so I minimized it as way to cope with it. This was not healthy. I found ways to escape the trauma by dissociation which caused suppressed memories that I’ve had to finally deal with as they’ve surfaced over the years. I also suffer with memory loss in certain seasons of my life growing up. Joyce’s book unlocked the prison in my mind I suffered with my most of my life. I began a new journey with God and I began to see change.
This was the beginning of my newfound life, and I began processing the hurt I kept locked away for so long. I began to take a look at the lost little girl within me and addressed the wounded child from within.
Here I am 10 plus years later moving past a painful past and traumatic childhood as I’ve grieved all my losses. All it ever boiled down to was this – I wanted to be loved and accepted. I wanted to hear something positive about myself instead of all the voices around me that kept restating that I wasn’t loved and valued. I’ve spent more years taking care of the mentally ill mother who abused me growing up than I did receiving love. I’ve also stood in the way of my mother who tried to commit suicide and visited her in mental institutions instead of being loved and supported throughout all of my own pain and suffering. This isn’t something medication can fix. This was a wounded soul that only God could heal. Since then, I have had to learn how to simply receive love from the godly women that God has put in my path of restoration.
The reality I lived in and survived is still happening to young ones today. Backgrounds like mine make one a prime target for human trafficking and the street life. Mental health agencies need to understand the depth of pain and suffering a person has gone through before just throwing a medication at dysfunction and abuse. I’m convinced our modern day slavery is mental health, and it’s evident that we have a crisis that needs to be addressed holistically if we ever expect to see real change and freedom. We weren’t designed to carry the burdens of this world. Because someone’s transparency changed the direction of my life, I share openly unapologetically to give others the same hope I received over 10 years ago.
My name is Tabitha Ferguson and I was born and raised in this city. I share my story openly to help others find the same hope, healing, and restoration I found 11 years ago from a traumatic childhood.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.
By Minister Sandra Henry
History and Birth of the Cattleya Foundation of Hope
May 22, 2015, I went to Baylor Scott and White Hillcrest Medical Center for my annual mammogram. This time it was different, I was diagnosed with breast cancer! My first reaction, as I tried to listen to the doctor explain medical procedures, was the fear of death but God spoke to me with the words, “Fear not, all is well.” Throughout my traumatic experience, with the love of my husband Joseph, love and encouragement of family, friends, cancer survivors and my church, Abundant Love Fellowship Church, I was strengthened by faith to persevere.
In August 2015, I planned a Celebration of Life luncheon at the Spa at Canyon Oaks in Crawford, Texas, where my family, friends, local community partners and cancer survivors came to celebrate my life journey. I watched in awe as God’s vision and plan began to unfold in such a miraculous way. So many people attended this event that I knew God was about to do an amazing work. At that moment, I said yes to God’s Will for my life journey.
On February 15, 2016, I met with Sister Shelia Ross (who attended the event in August), Sister Toria Smith-Loughridge, Sister Lisa Ware, and Sister Sandra Montgomery at Panera’s in the Central Texas Marketplace Shopping Center. We prayerfully discussed plans of establishing a local cancer foundation in Waco for all cancers. We formed a board and started this foundation with our own money. We have worked diligently to plant seeds of hope in cancer survivors and continue to passionately serve the McLennan County community. The Cattleya Foundation of Hope has now grown to twenty-two members.
We adopted the orchid as our symbol because of its strong roots and its ability to persevere through adversities, its beauty, and grace. We adopted the color purple because of its royal heritage; the color gold because it represents courage and passion; and the color ivory/cream because it represents elegance, warmth, and tranquility (peace).
Our core values are Christ first, compassion, commitment, communication, courage to be steadfast and unmovable, excellence in all we do, integrity, accountability and transparency, service, and teamwork (unity).
Our mission statement: We are a team of Christian women and men who understand the plight of those recently diagnosed, cancer survivors continuing on their journey, and those who are in the fight to regain their health and wholeness. We stand together to provide spiritual and emotional support for those who have been diagnosed with cancer and are continuing on their journey. We stand together to give hope, faith and life to men, women, and children cancer survivors and their families.
We are unique because spirituality, prayer, and love are the essence of our foundation and our service to cancer survivors in this community. In Cattleya, our cancer clients are not alone!
Cattleya Whispers of Hope Programs
After completing a confidential assessment application, we may provide transportation and/or bus passes for doctor appointments and treatments. We may sit with cancer clients to give relief to their primary caregiver, which is important to everyone affected by cancer.
How do cancer survivors learn about our services? We receive our clients through Scott and White Hillcrest Medical Center – McClinton Cancer Center; Community Cancer Association, and through word of mouth.
Cattleya has partnered with McClane Children’s Hospital in Temple, Texas, because it is the nearest facility available to McLennan county children who have been recently diagnosed with cancer and our children cancer survivors continuing on their life journey.
Last year, Cattleya was able to visit the children at McClane Children’s Hospital during October for the October Harvest and December for Christmas expressions of love. On both occasions we were inspired by the smiles and their willingness to grasp life with all she has to offer. These courageous children and their families are why we are in this fight to end cancer in our world.
We brought socks, gloves, blankets, newly donated books and gift cards. During Christmas we also brought donated snowmen outfits for the children to wear and have fun!
This summer, through fundraising, we were able to give a monetary donation to their Dreamcatcher Camp. This is a week-long camp that allows the children to spend time in an environment where they can be a kid, have hope and enjoy having fun. If any of you readers would like to contribute to Dreamcatchers, please contact McClane Children’s Hospital or go on their website.
Celebration of Life
Each year, Cattleya hosts “A Celebration of Life” through fundraising and donations. This event is to honor those recently diagnosed with cancer, cancer survivors continuing on their life journey, family members of those who stand with cancer survivors, and family members of those courageous warriors who have transitioned home.
This is a night we celebrate life, plant seeds of hope, and inspire one another to continue the fight. We welcome our community to come and support our courageous women and men as we continue our life journey. We offer a catered dinner, inspiration from a local speaker, and gifts for our cancer survivors. It is a special time set aside for us to pamper cancer survivors in a special way.
It is also a time for us to reach out to our community in support for the programs and services that we provide throughout the year for our cancer clients.
Cattleya’s wish list is simple. We need a facility where women, men and children cancer survivors can come and read a book, write a journal, enjoy a time of serenity. A place we can transform into a tranquil setting and build programs for cancer survivors in Waco, Texas. If you have a place to offer to us, please contact Min Sandra Henry at 2010shenry@gmail.com.
And finally a quote from Maya Angelou
“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”
This Act Locally Waco blog post was written by Minister Sandra Henry. Min. Henry serves as associate minister of Abundant Love Fellowship Church, Dr. E.L. Ross, Pastor. She has been a member for 3 years. Min Henry preached her first sermon at the New American International Baptist Institute and Seminary in Harker Heights, Texas in December 2012 and received her license in March 2013 at Pleasant Olive. She received her Master of Theology and Doctor of Theology at NAIBI Seminary. She is an honorably discharged veteran from the United States Army with four years of active service. Min Henry and her husband, Joseph Henry, relocated to Waco, Texas in 1985 after he retired from the United States Army with 20 years of service. Min Henry is retired from Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office with twenty-four years of service. They have four children, five grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Bro and Min Joseph Henry love the Lord and they serve Him together. Min Henry’s focus is a faithful and humble servant rooted in the word of God.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.
By Wendy Gragg
“What’s in a name?” Shakespeare asked.
We at City Center Waco would answer, “more than you might think.”
If you’ve strolled or cruised through Downtown Waco recently, you may have seen new banners on light poles. There are 37 of them, and they have one of the following four designations: Austin Avenue District, Silo District, River District and Elm Avenue District. Each banner also says Downtown Waco, A Cultural District.
Sure, Downtown Waco has had banners before, showing support for United Way and Baylor University or encouraging people to explore the city. But the new banners have altogether different purposes, which we hope will serve Downtown well in this era of increased tourism. We envision this happening in a couple of ways.
First, we want the banners to serve as a beacon of sorts. Downtown Waco is very spread out with pockets of activity separated by stretches of nothing. If you are new to the area and see that there are more banners farther down the street, they may pull you in that direction, toward shops and eateries, etc., in a district you might not have explored had you not seen the banner in the distance.
Second, they identify districts. Once again, because Downtown Waco is so spread out, sectioning it off helps us be able to talk about what is where, better than if we were just lumping everything under the umbrella of Downtown Waco. Also, as downtown development continues, we will likely find these districts take on their own personalities, shaped by the businesses that call those areas home.
You see this in larger cities all the time. Take San Francisco, for instance: the Union Square area is known for chain stores, the Mission neighborhood is known for murals and Bayview is up and coming with a lot of warehouses and new restaurants. Waco is not San Francisco but the basic concept remains the same. Name a place and you can more easily direct someone to it. Also, as the area grows, there are opportunities for collective marketing as businesses come together to market the neighborhood.
The Public Improvement District, which is funded through a voluntary “tax” paid by property owners in the very core of Downtown Waco, has literally bought into the idea of promoting districts as a way to encourage people to explore more of Downtown. The banners are only one of several ways the PID is identifying the districts. You may remember colorful, artistic maps that evolved from temporary signs to an art-and-wayfinding system on utility boxes. These early versions are giving way to the third generation of downtown district wayfinding: artist-designed steel kiosks. The unique district kiosks grew from the PID’s original concept to include a hand-drawn map and solar lights thanks to the championship and financial support of the CVB and Creative Waco. Next to come will be building lights that carry the banners’ colors for each district into the evening hours and beyond.
Don’t miss the larger picture, though. By creating these visual connections between locations in a district, drawing the eye to districts a few blocks away during both day and night, and providing maps that give greater context to Downtown Waco as a whole, the PID and its partners are doing more than just promoting the districts themselves. They make all of Downtown Waco more attractive, as adventurous visitors join locals in braving those “between” places, venturing on foot along pathways that were previously untraveled. The blossoming of areas along Mary and Jackson is in some ways the early fruits of activating more and more of downtown. Perhaps the districts will have most fully done their job when they are no longer separated by inactive space and Downtown Waco feels full, active and connected.
City Center Waco (acting as staff to the Public Improvement District) invites you to an open meeting on Wednesday, August 15 from 4:00 PM-6:00 PM at City Center Waco, 801 Elm Avenue. The purpose of the meeting will be to gauge interest on the part of property owners within the Public Improvement District to participate in the second phase of the Downtown Lighting Project. Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/516276048811067/
Wendy Gragg, Director of Communications for City Center Waco. City Center Waco helps drive development in the CITY CENTER, made up of Downtown Waco and the surrounding neighborhoods.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.
(Welcome to the Act Locally Waco/Towny blog series. Towny is an app that exists to connect consumers with local businesses. It’s fairly new to Waco and is loaded with answers to the question, “Why local?” Through this blog series, the folks at Towny will be sharing the stories behind some of our high-quality, local products and helping you get to know some of our energetic local entrepreneurs. We hope you enjoy it! Supporting local business is a terrific way to support the Waco economy! Plus, it’s just fun to get to know your neighbors. For more posts in this blog series, click here: Towny Waco.– ALW)
by Beth Whittington
Normally, a gymnastics facility is just that, but at Flips Gymnastics in Waco, Texas, there’s (unintentionally!) much, much more behind the name. We’re hearing from Stephanie Mayfield, owner of Flips, to hear about the place where generation after generation are…learning to flip!
What’s the story behind Flips?
I lived outside of Dallas, in Duncanville, and did competitive gymnastics for seven years with coach Darlene Brooks at her gym, Duncanville Gymnastics Center. It was so different then – I actually didn’t start until I was 10 and did it until I was 17.
(Stephanie won three state championships, went to nationals, and was a regional competitor in Texas.)
I also worked for Darlene through high school. I got out of competitive gymnastics and did cheer my senior year and went on to the University of Texas at Arlington – majored in business. Duncanville wasn’t very far from Arlington so when I was 20, I worked for her again for my last two years of college at the gymnastic center that I grew up in.
Owners of Flips Gymnastics Stephanie and Dale Mayfield with Darlene Brooks
Darlene and her husband inherited some land and were going to be moving to West, Texas. For one of my projects at school, we did a business plan on starting a gym in Waco. (Stephanie laughs.) That was Flips!
So, I proposed it to Darlene’s husband and he said if you can find a gym, we’ll see. We found an existing gym in Hewitt. Darlene and her husband bought it out, and that became Flips.
I managed Flips starting in 1993. I coached and Darlene coached, we both were very involved with it. Ten years later, in 2003, we bought another existing facility in Waco, actually the location we are in now. In 2008, my husband and I bought the Brooks’ out and have owned Flips for the last 10 years and Darlene actually runs our office – she’s our office manager. (Plot twist! Didn’t see that one coming!) She is still there; we have not parted ways. My husband now coaches, we offer recreational gymnastics, and have been opened for 25 years!
How does Flips benefit kids?
It can be SO beneficial for kids at every level. You do not have to be that kid that thinks they’re going to be in the Olympics. It’s so beneficial for every other sport, you know?
I don’t know that we see the fruit of everything we build, but we have kids in all the time where their doctors say they need to be more coordinated, they need to have more body control – and everything these kids are doing in gymnastics– that’s exactly what they’re improving. They look like they’re swinging on a ring and dropping in a pit. But they’re learning to control their body and when they land, they’re not just flopping and hurting themselves. There are so many things they learn!
We have kids who started out at three and four and five years old. They go on to play soccer and when they trip on the soccer field, instead of hitting the ground on their face, they know to roll out. They have so much more body control in other sports. We’re just building a good foundation that leads to a lot of things. And then some kids learn to tumble and go on to do cheer or diving. But what we give them as young kids – strength, flexibility, and body awareness – you don’t get in other sports.
What did gymnastics teach you as a kid?
I spent hours and hours in the gym so learning self-discipline, learning to prioritize my time, a work ethic I wouldn’t have gotten had I not gone deep into a competitive sport. It taught me a lot of independence, that an injury can change everything. If you have big goals and then have an injury, it deters your entire focus. I learned about failure, as well. I had a lot of success, but I had to learn to fail, too.
What do you offer at Flips?
There’s not the intensity here that I had growing up in gym. We want to provide a safe place; we want them smiling, happy. We don’t offer a pressure sport; we want them to learn skills, have fun with their friends, and have some value come out of it as well.
We start at two and a half-year-olds – our kids take gymnastics until age 12. We offer recreational gymnastics that has all the events: vault, bars, balance beams, floor, trampolines, safety foam pit, rings, all within a 15,000 square foot facility that is fully air-conditioned. (Stephanie wanted everyone to know that!!)
And then we offer a basic cheer/tumble class and a basic tumble class. We don’t offer competitive cheer or gymnastics but we do offer grooming for both of those. Both boys and girls come to Flips, beginner to advanced classes. It’s mostly a one hour a week recreational gymnastics class.
What’s one thing most people don’t know about Flips?
I don’t think a lot of people know our story. Especially when they walk in, because, a lot of people that call the gym know Darlene, like, they know her name, but they have no idea that the backstory is that our roles are almost entirely flipped, except, in addition, she was my coach. I think that backstory makes the story of our gym quite different. A lot of people don’t even know she ever coached gymnastics, much less was my coach and owned the gym at one time.
What has the relationship been like?
She was my coach, which– any competitive gymnast has a very strong relationship with your coach because you spend so much time with them, weekly. So, she was very much a mother figure to me for many years and it evolved, more so as I got to be a little older, into a friendship. And we truly are best friends. Before we knew our spouses, we knew each other. We have a very long history. We have known each other for 37 years. We have always had a respect for one another that we could respect our work roles yet change over and have a personal friendship outside of work. It’s a pretty rare thing we’ve been able to do – work for each other and sell a business one to the other and then, still, we are best friends.
What do You two like to do together outside of work?
Stephanie Mayfield, on her wedding day, wearing coach + more, Darlene Brooks’ wedding gown
We don’t spend as much time as we used to, but (she laughs) we eat Mexican food every week together! We’re just good friends all the time, though. We’ve vacationed together…we were in each others’ weddings. I actually wore her wedding dress!
What does it mean to you when people shop local?
The mere fact that we do have a wonderful gym. We have many, many people who took at Flips when they were children and now bring their child. That’s SUCH a compliment. People tell their friends to bring their kids here and that is the BEST compliment I could get.
What do you love about Waco?
I love that it is a city but that it has such a small-town feel, I love that it’s Christ-centered. It’s a wonderful place to raise your kids. It’s such a great environment to raise your kids…I love that you turn on the TV and see people you know. You open up magazines and see people you know. It is big enough that people you meet, you may not know them, but you know the same people – you’re inner-connected.
Beth Whittington remembers sitting on the Waco suspension bridge as a girl, visiting family friends. Legs dangling off, watching the Fourth of July fireworks spark the sky. Been a Waco local for the better part of 19 years. Gaps explainable by the awkwardly untrue term of “ex-missionary.” Beth thrives on: generating ideas + copywriting. Can’t wait to: visit South Africa. Favorite part of Waco: Bangkok Royale + the HOTHTC. Wants: everyone in Waco to get Towny because it’ll make life better for us all if we let it.
Take your local support up a notch – pop in Towny + have a look around.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.
By Madiha Kark with additional reporting by Neyra Bazaldua
Walk in to the Wells Fargo in downtown Waco and you’ll probably see him, his smile is quick to appear as he greets customers, his eyes are framed by black rectangular classes, and his round gentle face is marked with a short, maintained goatee.
Carlos Vera is the branch manager. In addition to his full-time job, he is also a full-time student and a full-time father to four children. He has an office in the back of the bank, but he is rarely there. Carlos is usually at the front of the bank greeting customers and helping them with whatever brings them in that day.
For Carlos, it’s been tough finding the balance between all these roles. “My motivation comes from many places and people. My wife and kids will always be my number one motivation, but I am most motivated when I have made a difference in someone’s life.” he says. When you hear his schedule it almost feels like he has more hours in the day than the rest of us.
Despite his myriad responsibilities, he carves out time to spend quality time with his kids. He also finds the time to participate in extracurricular activities such as, the Men of Color Success Initiative. The initiative is designed to address challenges for first generation college students, traditionally underrepresented groups, and students in need of academic and personal direction. The students are assigned a mentor to help them succeed.
At 35, Carlos is pursuing an Associate degree in Business Administration, he is not what is considered a traditional student, but he hasn’t let his age hold him back. Carlos’s mentor Dr. Ronald Hochstatter helped him apply for FAFSA and encouraged him to apply for scholarships through the MCC Foundation. “My first semester, I paid everything out of pocket, tuition, books, everything. I didn’t know anything about FAFSA.” The next semester he was able to get a refund, he couldn’t believe it.
With college prices in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, more families are looking for ways to spend less for quality education. Student loans are one of the most significant debts that Americans carry and at MCC, there are countless options to alleviate that burden, whether through scholarships, affordable classes or providing students with the resources that will help them academically and financially.
Through sheer determination, hard work, and encouragement from his mentor, Carlos applied for the Hoover Title III scholarship and received it. The scholarship will cover his tuition and books, leaving him a little less worried about finances. The experience to be in college has been rewarding in many ways for Carlos, though he feels left out or mature for most activities his fellow students prefer, he appreciates the comradery and willingness to help each other.
Carlos will graduate in fall 2019 and hopes to attend Texas Tech University through the University Center at MCC. MCC has opened many doors for Carlos and he hopes to do the same one day for other students.
Madiha Kark is a Marketing, Communications and Photography Specialist at McLennan Community College. She holds an M.A. in Journalism from the University of North Texas. She loves to travel, cook, and read nonfiction books.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.
(This post is the first of what we hope will be an on-going series profiling local folks who have taken advantage of the many higher education opportunities we have available in Waco to further their careers or pursue new opportunities. We hope these profiles help spread the word about exciting educational and career opportunities we have here in the Waco area. Enjoy and be inspired! – ALW)
By Clinton Dennard
Have you ever thought you might like to go into police work? Assistant Police Chief Robert Lanning graduated from the Tarleton Waco Program with a Master of Criminal Justice degree in August of 2013. In today’s career spotlight he shares some insights about a career in the police.
What is the career you are in now and what do you do?
I work in local law enforcement as an Assistant Chief of Police for the Waco Police Department. For the last four years, I have supervised the Criminal Investigations Division, which includes all detectives and the Victim Services Unit.
Can you list some challenges and victories you have faced in this career?
The challenges have varied by position. As a new patrol officer, I dealt with the same issues faced at some point by most officers: Shift work, missed holidays, working under sometimes adverse conditions, and seeing people at their worst. In my current position, I am frequently confronted with complex legal, policy, budget, and personnel decisions. The offset to facing these difficulties is that I now have the authority to affect positive change, such as overseeing the development of our Peer Support Team, which assists employees in need.
What was the path you took to arrive here?
After graduating college with a degree in management, I initially worked in a family business; however, my interest was always in law enforcement. In 1993, I began my career with the Waco Police Department as a patrol officer. Over the last 24 years, I have worked as a detective, as a member of the SWAT team, and as a member of the USMS Fugitive Task Force. In 2003, I began taking promotional tests and rising through the ranks to my current position.
What education did you need and how did you get it?
A minimum number of college hours is required by many departments, including the Waco Police Department. Additionally, applicants for promotional tests receive bonus points for having a college degree and a minimum of a bachelor’s degree is required to apply for the position of assistant chief (having a graduate degree is preferred). I attended Baylor University from 1980-1984 to obtain my BBA.
What is your favorite part of your job?
The most rewarding part of this job is helping people in need. As an officer, you have many opportunities to assist others: Giving directions, looking for lost children, enforcing the law, etc. As a supervisor, I find fulfillment in teaching and mentoring new officers.
What advice would you give someone interested in your line of work?
First, invest some time and find out what the job that you’re interested in (local, state, federal) is really like—do your research, talk to people in that field, and do ride outs or internships. Next, prepare yourself for being a good candidate by obtaining as much relevant training, experience, and education as possible. Finally, all law enforcement and licensing agencies have standards related to drug/alcohol usage and criminal activity and you should make good decisions accordingly.
What pros and cons should they be aware of?
A career in law enforcement in extremely rewarding, but it is not a good fit for everyone. Most law enforcement positions offer the satisfaction of helping others and good benefits/retirement plans, but it can also be dangerous and involve harsh working conditions.
What kind of things do you wish you had known when first beginning?
That policing was such a great job—I would have started this career immediately after college!
If you are interested in learning more about the Master of Criminal Justice program offered at Tarleton Waco, contact the main Tarleton Waco offices at 254-299-8322 to set up your advising appointment today!
This post was written by Clinton Dennard. Clinton is a self-proclaimed poker aficionado and 90’s music trivia savant. In his free time, you can find him on one of Waco’s spectacular bodies of water doing all the aquatic things. In his professional life, you will find him oscillating between lecturing and advising undergraduate Tarleton Waco students in an effort to make their dreams a reality. Further, you can find him recruiting for the Tarleton Waco programs throughout the Greater Waco community. On most evenings, he serves a Licensed Professional Counselor at Premier Neurofeedback and Counseling Services.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.
by Claire Hutson and Elizabeth Keomanikhoth
We are all aware of the physical changes a baby undergoes in its first few years of life. It’s easy to observe: from sitting up to crawling to walking and talking, babies develop a great deal. But what about the mental changes that go on underneath all of that? Those are a lot less easy to observe, especially to the untrained eye, but helping your baby’s brain grow is just as important as helping the rest of its body grow. So how do you do that?
Talking and Reading to Your Baby
A baby’s brain develops through their interactions with their parents and the environment around them. Simply talking to your baby is incredibly important for building the brain. But communication with your baby does not just mean spitting out words at them. It can also be shown through mimicking the faces and movements that they make, and putting an emotion title to the faces or attitudes they express. For example, if your child is laughing and smiling, you could say, “You seem to be very happy right now!” This simple acknowledgment places context to certain words and enables them to gain a better understanding of the world around them. Exploring what will happen when they fuss, blow bubbles, giggle, babble, and even throw food on the floor helps further their brain development. These experiments allow them to communicate with you and other caregivers, and are the building blocks for a properly wired brain. Research shows that talking to and interacting with your baby in the first 3 years of their life builds the ultimate foundation for what will be needed to support later reading and thinking skills.
You are your baby’s first teacher. Learning to read depends greatly on having and hearing a large vocabulary. Reading to your baby allows them to hear words that you may not normally say to them on a daily basis. It also puts pictures and a story to the words that you are saying. You are exposing them to new vocabulary and concepts such as numbers, letters, colors, and shapes. It will build memory, vocabulary, and listening skills. When your child hears more words, it increases the number and variety of words they will understand and use later on in life. Reading books will keep them entertained, especially if the book includes a song for you to sing, and will make talking to your baby much easier and more engaging.
What is the Nurse Family Partnership?
But I am only acutely aware of these things because of almost four years of training on the subject, and even so I would be quite nervous to actually put it into practice and raise of child of my own. Many moms do not know the importance of these building blocks, and for many, these simple interactions do not come naturally. So how do we help moms in our community turn this into the status quo of parenting? That is where Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) comes in. NFP is an evidence-based organization for first time expecting mothers. They provide education, empowerment, and access to resources in our community. They teach first time mothers the importance of things like talking to your baby. NFP provides ways for women to be the best mothers possible. To be eligible for this program you have to meet the basic requirements. This includes being a first-time mother (at any age), at or less than 28 weeks pregnant, and you must be a McLennan County resident. If you know of any first-time mothers in McLennan County, have any other questions, or would like to volunteer, please feel free to contact the office at 254.202.1130.
Elizabeth Keomanikhoth (Pictured left) will be a senior at Baylor University. She is majoring in Child and Family Studies, and following a pre-medical track in hopes of pursuing pediatrics.
Claire Hutson (Pictured right) will be graduating from Baylor this August with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email ashleyt@actlocallywaco.org for more information.