By Erianne Lewis
On any given day, Tiffani Johnson could be found doing something to enrich the Waco community, whether through her job at United Way or in her free time as a Wacoan.
Johnson, senior director of impact and engagement for United Way of Waco-McLennan County, has held this position with United Way since January 2018. After graduating from college, Johnson was undecided on what she wanted to pursue — due to her various interests — so she decided to serve in the Marine Corps for four years.
“It was one of the most gratifying experiences and has greatly contributed to the person I am today, the leader I am today,” Johnson said.
Not only does Johnson care for the city, but she cares for the people within the community. Prior to working with United Way, Johnson worked for the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District and as a teacher in Waco Independent School District. She became teary-eyed when reminiscing on her days as a teacher in WISD.
Her work with United Way, “allows me to do that work in a different way” with health and education. “But I am still able to connect with the community again to understand what it is that the community wants,” Johnson said. “To help convene local people to make sure that we can begin to help support families in a way that will benefit them and help them to thrive in the county.”
The complexities of Johnson’s position cause every day to be a different experience, which she said that she enjoys.
“There isn’t really a normal day, which I’m excited about,” Johnson said. “I think what draws me to the community is that no day looks the same.”
Johnson has lived in Waco for the last 17 years, having lived in major cities beforehand. She said she enjoys that the people of Waco are unlike people in other cities; they have a strong willingness to dream.
“I think the people of Waco have a vision for who we can be and where we can be, and I see people working towards that, that’s exciting,” Johnson said. “I continue to see people from various communities across the county come together.”
Johnson said she spends her time off enjoying Waco’s outdoors or being with family.
“My favorite places are really outdoors. If it’s not hanging at home with my kids, which is my absolute favorite place, it is being somewhere near water. If I can go sit by Lake Waco at Woodway Park, I will do that,” Johnson said.
Johnson’s love of Waco is evident in the way she lights up when speaking about it. One of the many things she enjoys about Waco is how accessible community leaders are, Johnson said.
“[They are] really open minded, and they are of one accord about how we can make greater change here,” Johnson said.
Johnson said she tries to use her job to help the people of Waco to feel appreciated and loved.
“It’s vitally important to me that there is an avenue with which people from various communities and neighborhoods throughout Waco can speak how they feel. They can speak their aspirations for what they want this community to be,” Johnson said.
Erianne Lewis is a freshman journalism major at Baylor University and hopes to work in print journalism after college.
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 Ferrell Foster at [email protected].
In honor of Black History Month, we are featuring interviews with local Black community leaders. These pieces were written by Baylor University students from the Department of Journalism, Public Relations, and New Media. The students asked questions about what the leaders love about Waco, and we are excited to share their responses with you this month.
By Julia-Rachel Dominguez
Dytrun Thirkill, an accountant at Cen-Tex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, has lived in Waco since college and never left because he found the community so admirable.
Thirkill was born two hours away in Jacksonville, and attended McLennan Community College in Waco. He studied accounting and got an internship with Cen-Tex Hispanic Chamber. He has now been working there for eight years.
“I enjoy my position a lot because it’s what I wanted to do, but also, once I got this position, it opens up more opportunities for me in the future,” Thirkill said.
Thirkill is very involved in Waco. He serves on the Economic Opportunities Advancement Corp. Board. According to its website, the EOAC’s aim is that “every individual has the opportunity to contribute to the full elimination of poverty.”
Thirkill is involved with the United Way Financial Committee, as well. On its website, United Way says its mission is, “focused on strengthening our community and creating opportunity for every resident” by fighting for “the health, education, financial stability, and safety net services of every person in McLennan County.”
He also gets involved and is able to help the people of his community through his work at the Hispanic Chamber.
“We host community events such as Christmas Toy Drive, Trunk or Treat, school backpack drives. We have The Floating Mercado, where vendors are able to set up spots to sell their items, and we host job fairs,” Thirkill said.
Thirkill isn’t just involved because it is part of his job; he says he enjoys going to community events and shopping at local shops to support small businesses in town. There are many things to do in Waco; people just have to look for them.
Thirkill urged college students to enjoy Waco while they are here and begin to get involved, as well, so they can become a part of the community.
“Anyone can get involved. You can start with a chamber. There are like seven different ones. There’s community programs, neighborhood programs, and nonprofit ones,” Thirkill said. “Also, I would say to try to serve on committees and boards on some of those chambers that you get involved in.”
The website, Cen-Tex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for Waco, has ways to join the chamber, how to contribute to it, and its mission statement.
“My favorite part about Waco is it is not necessarily a small city, but it’s big enough that they have things here — things you can do. And also there are resources available to people.There is still a close knit community since the town is smaller, so I enjoy that,” Thirkill said.
Waco has been pegged as a developing city and has seen exponential growth over the past years, with a growth rate of around 1.4% each year, according to a KXXV McLennan County article . Thirkill said he sees a bright future for Waco.
“I hope that we just keep going in the direction that we are going so that we can create more opportunities for the people of Waco,” Thirkill said.
Julia-Rachel Dominguez is a freshman journalism major on a pre-law track at Baylor University.
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 Ferrell Foster at [email protected].
By Gracie Ozburn
Ke’Sha Lopez, a KWTX News 10 anchor, has been an active member of the Waco community for over 10 years. In an interview, Lopez talks about how she stays involved in the “Heart of Texas.”
Lopez said she was first influenced to go into journalism by her cousin who had joined his college news team while growing up in Arkansas. This then inspired her to major in radio and television at Arkansas State University, and she started working on the college’s news station.
“There were two black anchors at home, and it never registered that I could do television,” Lopez said. “It wasn’t until my cousin came home … and popped in the VHS of him doing a newscast that I was like, ‘I can do that.’”
She had many internships and jobs at stations in Midwest and Southern states, including her first on-air job as a reporter for WKAG-TV in Clarksville, Tenn. Later, she found work in Dallas, which then led to finding a job in Waco.
Something that she discovered instantly when coming to Texas was the love for the state from the community. “The Texas pride is something I’ve never seen before,” Lopez said. “It’s strong here.”
Lopez has been in the business for almost 20 years. When not reporting, Lopez is working at McLennan Community College teaching a reading and writing course. She started as a substitute teacher because her mom was a teacher and encouraged her to apply. She has since stuck with the teaching path and now teaches a virtual class. It keeps her feeling connected with what is going on in the area and world.
“I feel like I have a different impact on people living here,” Lopez said. “Helping my students learn something that will help them move onto the next level, … that’s rewarding.”
Other ways she stays active is by staying involved in her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha. It hosts events and had one recently during the election to rally people and get them excited about voting. Pre-pandemic, her work schedule with the morning news show was always eventful, and she was always doing something with her posting about events and talking to groups of people.
“We were so busy,” Lopez said. “We were always out doing something.”
During her freetime, Lopez loves exploring the outdoors and discovering Waco. She especially enjoys walking the trails in Cameron Park. Another spot she finds herself at often is Lula Jane’s, a coffee and bakery shop on Elm Street.
“I love to just go in and see how people are doing,” Lopez said. “There are days where I will just pop in to see what’s going on just to still be in touch with the community around here.”
Lopez said she has also enjoyed watching Waco grow throughout her 10 years of being here. Even though there is construction taking place in many parts of Waco, she enjoys seeing the end result of the projects.
“It has been really interesting seeing it grow and develop,” Lopez said. “Waco has become my home.”
Gracie Ozburn is from a suburb of Chicago and is a sophomore at Baylor University, majoring in journalism.
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 Ferrell Foster at [email protected].
In honor of Black History Month, we are featuring interviews with local Black community leaders. These pieces were written by Baylor University students from the Department of Journalism, Public Relations, and New Media. The students asked questions about what the leaders love about Waco, and we are excited to share their responses with you this month.
By Nicole Arentsen
Because of the pandemic, one mother and teacher used her passion to create a solution to a concern in the community. Charra Burns noticed that parents had worries for their child’s academic success with remote learning and wanted to help support them in any way. Her love for Waco has only grown more since she has become more involved in the city.
“I love how the community comes together for the greater good to make it an even greater place,” Burns said. “I love all the community initiatives, community events, the family functions, and just the creativity on how organizations have tried to adapt to COVID-19.”
Burns has been a teacher in Waco for a few years now. She created a program called READ, where she collected books for different students in the community and was able to assist in reading skills one-on-one.
But recently with the pandemic when schools in the community decided to teach remotely, an idea popped in her head to create sensory boxes for children. This idea led to her opening her new business called, Think Learn Play, where she creates custom, hands-on lesson plans for parents to complete with their children at home.
Burns had noticed the concern of parents with younger students who have been at home since spring and worried their students are falling behind.
“I also am able to support the parents because they were working or did not know how to teach certain subjects,” Burns said. “I think what makes the box unique is it really teaches the parent how to teach their kid and then also gives them ideas on what to do with their kids outside of the box.”
Her most popular audience is children under 8 years old but has custom boxes for younger toddlers and older students as well.
“I did not expect the community to respond to it the way they did, but I think COVID-19 had a really big play in it,” Burns said. “I have just been able to take part in a lot of families’ lives unexpectedly with these boxes.”
The small yet tight knit community of Waco offers numerous activities around town to stay connected and busy. The Act Locally Waco blog encourages people to explore all parts of the city and find areas to help out that sparks their passions. The blog also reminds people to have a grateful heart and to “take advantage of all the things we are still able to do,” Burns said.
There are many opportunities for someone in Waco to find something they enjoy and like-minded friends to make the town feel like home.
“Getting involved also means, for me, teaching my kids about the important initiatives, teaching them about all the positive things in our community and finding them a way to be involved as well,” Burns said.
This passionate woman was able to create a safe and unique solution for a need in the community from her own home. Things might be more difficult at times, but open your mind and think creatively because the options are endless to help the community.
“I hope that more families will learn about Think Learn Play, try out the sensory boxes, and tell a friend,” Burns said. “The feedback and responses that I have gotten have been huge. I have been expanding to even out of state and the larger community which is really important to me because I just want to do something special in our community here in Waco.”
Nicole Arentsen is a Baylor University journalism major from Orange, Calif.
he 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 Ferrell Foster at [email protected].
In honor of Black History Month, we are featuring interviews with local Black community leaders. These pieces were written by Baylor University students from the Department of Journalism, Public Relations, and New Media. The students asked questions about what the leaders love about Waco, and we are excited to share their responses with you this month.
By Belle Ebner
Waco is a small city that can make a big impact, according to Cuevas Peacock, who works in Baylor University’s Office of External Affairs. It’s a place that is persistently growing and continues to make strides toward improvement.
For much too long, people would say Waco is just a pit stop on a road trip to somewhere more interesting, Peacock said. But through his time working with Grassroots Community Development and at Baylor, Peacock has seen the city transform.
“By being involved in these various things, I am able to see first-hand just what can happen in Waco, and it’s exciting,” he said.
Peacock said he was a community organizer at Grassroots and was responsible for identifying opportunities for growth in the community. He was pleasantly surprised at the community’s willingness to participate in the city’s success and their receptiveness to new ideas.
In Waco, there is a strong sense of connectivity one can’t get in bigger cities, according to Peacock. People in Waco wish to find long-term solutions to issues in their community as well as working together to advance equity. Peacock said he is good friends with prominent citizens of Waco, including the mayor.
“Wow,” Peacock said. “Could you have these types of relationships in bigger cities? I don’t think you can.”
Waco is a community built on educational opportunities, Peacock said. If someone wants to gain a skill or knowledge, they have the opportunity at Baylor University, McLennan Community College, Texas State Technical College, and various other educational organizations.
Baylor University is a large part of the city’s identity, and Peacock said his job includes “bursting the bubble” that surrounds the university and integrating it more into the Waco community. By bridging the two, Peacock believes Waco can become even more culturally vibrant and progressive.
Organizations such as the Grassroots ensure that solutions are resident-driven and that the people have power, according to Peacock. By making sure the public has the resources to create change themselves, Waco has become a uniquely proactive community.
“If they have an idea, if they have a vision, if they have a thought, if they have a belief, I would encourage them to act on it,” he said.
There’s a certain Waco attitude that encourages being receptive to new ideas and supporting the idea that change is beneficial, Peacock said. Even if one is tentative to call for change or make a suggestion, there are people in the community who will help them make the necessary steps.
The connectivity and willingness to support one’s neighbors is what cultivates such a strong community in Waco. The more involved one becomes in providing solutions and improving the city, the more one becomes hopeful for Waco’s future, according to Peacock.
“I know what’s to come. I see the vision,” he said. Peacock has a vision for an ever-evolving city with a passion for change.
Belle Ebner is from Colorado and is majoring in journalism and public relations at Baylor University.
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 Ferrell Foster at [email protected].
In honor of Black History Month, we are featuring interviews with local Black community leaders. These pieces were written by Baylor University students from the Department of Journalism, Public Relations, and New Media. The students asked questions about what the leaders love about Waco, and we are excited to share their responses with you this month.
By Aston Crosbie
Waco is filled with small businesses trying to stay afloat or expand. Some are family owned and some are simply entrepreneurial endeavors. No matter the case, there are people in the community working to help them increase business and revenue.
Rachel E. Pate is one of those people. She is vice president of economic development at Cen-Tex African American Chamber of Commerce. Pate attained this position four years ago and saw it as an opportunity to cement a legacy for her and her newborn child. She has been a long-time resident in Waco and has seen the town transition from a quiet little town to a tourist destination.
She focuses on the economic development of small businesses in Greater Waco. She assists in business expansion and growth. Pate hints at the fact that as businesses grow so does Waco.
“We’ve been waiting for, as residents who have never lived anywhere else, to see our city become vibrant. We want to be a part of that growth and see all the things we have envisioned,” Pate said.
She expressed her pride in her roots in Waco, especially on her mother’s side. Pate explained how good it feels to watch your hometown grow and flourish. The chamber had visions of what Waco could become, and it is slowly beginning to happen.
Pate encourages young people to get involved through volunteering. It is a great way to get networked within your community. If you don’t know where to start, she said you can simply show up to the office at the African American Chamber. They will help you get started and find events for you to help with.
Also, the African American Chamber has a committee called the Chamber Ambassadors. It is open for anyone to join and includes members of the chamber who want to widen the outreach. They also help new members get acquainted with the community and the opportunities available.
“It has reinforced my need to be self-reliant and that would be the same for our organization. . . . You must be dependable for yourself before you can help anybody,” Pate said.
With Covid-19 taking over the world, Pate expressed the need for everyone to become independent. There will now be more individual responsibility compared to the days of the past. There are new restrictions and guidelines for their organization and surrounding ones. This makes it harder to operate and do the usual things necessary to run smoothly. The African American Chamber is actively trying to develop a program to help people through these strange times.
The African American Chamber collaborates with other organizations in Waco, including the Cen-Tex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. These two organizations come together to form an alliance called the Star Bridge. They collaborate on economic development activities, fundraisers, and community events.
Getting involved as much as possible can show you a side of your community that you never knew, Pate said. It can open doors for you in the workplace and in life. Pate encourages people of all ages to get up and learn about their community and get involved.
“Everything depends on you being present in your community,” Pate said.
Education, values, and well-being will benefit from you getting involved in your community, she said. Once you get plugged in, you see the bigger picture. It helps you find your niche and your way to insight change.
Aston Crosbie is from Jupiter, Fla., and a junior at Baylor University.
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 Ferrell Foster at [email protected].
In honor of Black History Month, we are featuring interviews with local Black community leaders. These pieces were written by Baylor University students from the Department of Journalism, Public Relations, and New Media. The students asked questions about what the leaders love about Waco, and we are excited to share their responses with you this month.
By Caitlin Babcock
At the heart of what Galen Price, Waco interim assistant city manager, does every day is listening to the people of Waco. He listens to citizens and to business owners, to praises and to complaints. This listening then shapes his priorities.
Price sees his role as serving the needs of the community. Because of this, he views it as very important that citizens speak up about their needs. Listening to the community allows him and his team to enforce the policies that are working well and to know where the city is falling short.
“Just being involved so you can hear what’s going on, that gives you an opportunity to have a voice in what’s being considered and provide feedback on how it’s being viewed by you as a citizen in a community,” Price says.
According to Price, there are numerous ways for citizens of Waco to make their voices heard. He suggests that residents attend city council meetings, which are currently held online due to the pandemic. Price also suggests citizens attend neighborhood association meetings or start their own association if their neighborhood doesn’t have one.
Price became interim assistant city manager in August, after Deidra Emerson, who previously held that role, was promoted to deputy city manager, according to a 2019 article in the Waco Tribune-Herald. “It was an opportunity that you dream of and just couldn’t pass up,” Price said.
Price has spent 21 years in municipal government work, since he graduated from the University of North Texas in Fort Worth. He has been in Waco since 2017. Before coming to Waco, he worked on housing projects in Irving. Previous to becoming interim city manager, Price worked as the city’s director of housing and community development. While in this position, he worked with Waco’s Family Abuse Center and Mission Waco, a Christian organization that addresses systemic issues with poverty.
Price says Waco is making significant investments into its infrastructure, economy, and housing. He says that even before home designers Chip and Joanna Gaines brought Waco into the national spotlight, good things were going on in the city.
“I can one day envision Waco being one of the places that’s considered one of the best places to live in the nation,” Price says.
Price said he loves Waco because although it is developing, it still has a small-town feel. That feel is something that differs from his large hometown of Fort Worth.
“Relocating here from the metroplex, I enjoy the camaraderie and the way people make you feel at home here,” Price says. “As we continue to grow, let’s do our best to try to keep that feel.”
Caitlin Babcock is a sophomore at Baylor University from Colorado. She is majoring in international studies and double minoring in Spanish and journalism. She hopes to find a career in international journalism.
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 Ferrell Foster at [email protected].
In honor of Black History Month, we are featuring interviews with local Black community leaders. These pieces were written by Baylor University students from the Department of Journalism, Public Relations, and New Media. The students asked questions about what the leaders love about Waco, and we are excited to share their responses with you this month.
By Katelyn Wilmoth
During her time reporting the news, KCEN reporter and former news anchor Jasmin Caldwell has found many reasons to love Waco.
As a reporter, Caldwell said it is important to “stay on top” on everything that goes on in the Waco community. She said it is her job to cover everything from politics to the happier stories which makes the job more interesting. Caldwell said one of her favorite things about being a reporter is meeting people from “all walks of life” throughout the community.
“It’s one of those jobs that keeps you on your toes and you will never get bored with being a news reporter,” Caldwell said.
In the three years Caldwell has lived in Waco, she has been able to host several events for the Cen-Tex African American Chamber of Commerce in Waco. Caldwell said the chamber helps small local businesses in the Waco area, and she is a huge supporter of the organization.
Caldwell said she also enjoys exploring new places to shop. With the Waco community growing at such a fast rate, Caldwell said there is always something new to look for. One of her favorite things to do in Waco is get a group of friends together and spend the day taking pictures around town, especially at Magnolia.
“I love getting dressed up to go down to the Silos to take pictures because it is the best, most perfect place to take them,” Caldwell said.
Before moving to Waco, Caldwell worked for a news station in Charlottesville, Va., where she worked on a story that made national news. Caldwell said the Robert E. Lee statue had been an ongoing issue of racism in Charlottesville for a long time, and she was happy to be a part of the team that brought the issue nationwide. She discovered from the beginning of her career that “working on local issues means a lot to the community.”
“I am happy that the story went national, so the world could see what was going on in such a small town,” Caldwell said.
Caldwell is also a part of the National Association of Black Journalists. The organization was created to help reporters and journalists stay connected to help find jobs and network with journalists worldwide.
“It is such a cool opportunity to see other journalists who are doing the same thing as me,” Caldwell said.
Katelyn Wilmoth is a first-year student at Baylor University. She is studying journalism to one day become a professional reporter while covering everything from education to entertainment.
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 Ferrell Foster at [email protected].
In honor of Black History Month, we are featuring interviews with local Black community leaders. These pieces were written by Baylor University students from the Department of Journalism, Public Relations, and New Media. The students asked questions about what the leaders love about Waco, and we are excited to share their responses with you this month.
By Tim Longoria
Due to the recent worldwide pandemic and businesses shutting down because of it, it has become more difficult to enjoy all that Waco has to offer. Luckily, Waco’s new Fire Chief Gregory Summers said there are still plenty of activities that Waco residents can take part in when they have free time.
Coming from Little Rock, Ark., Summers started at Station No. 5 in early April, and he said each month he gets more and more accustomed to Waco. Summers likes to spend a lot of time outside with his wife, Jeanette.
“If we go to a restaurant, my wife and I, we are looking to go to a patio,” Summers said.
Restaurants like Magnolia Table, George’s, and Jake’s Texas Tea House, all of which are some of Summers’ favorite places to eat in Waco, have outdoor seating with 4 1/2 star ratings out of five, according to tripadvisor.com.
As it has been colder, Summers said he will start ordering more food to his house if he and Jeanette happen to get caught in the cold. And if going out to eat doesn’t seem like a popular idea to the Summers family on any particular day, outdoor activities seem to be a fine alternative.
“I can tell you, Cameron Park is an awesome park,” said Summers. “We just love riding down … looking at the statues.”
Cameron Park is a 416-acre park that includes the Waco Sculpture Zoo along the side of the Brazos River. There are 28 different styles of sculptures designed by people all over the United States, displayed across the river for a mile featuring animals that are common in the Waco area or found in the Cameron Park Zoo.
Summers and his wife have lived in Waco for almost a full year and, like everyone else, haven’t been able to experience the city in its entirety for some time. Once more businesses start opening, Summers said that he and Jeanette would feel more comfortable spending more time in public.
While it didn’t take long for Summers to adjust to a Texan lifestyle, he gave credit to his firefighters for “adapting very well to the COVID-19 disease.” In 35 years in fire service, Summers has been in a leadership position for almost the entire time. Before he became a fire chief in 2009, Summers had previous experience as an assistant fire chief and an interim fire chief.
Summers said he can’t wait to be “heavily involved in the community once this pandemic is in the rear-view mirror,” like he was in Little Rock during the majority of his fire service.
Staying close to his wife and firefighters at the station for the time being, Summers hopes to be able to return to normal life and the regular feeling of being a leader in Waco.
Tim Longoria is a freshman journalism major at Baylor University hoping to get a job as a sports broadcaster.
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 Ferrell Foster at [email protected].
By Ferrell Foster
Waco celebrated its Black heritage & future, the arts, and the return of banking to East Waco in a Monday evening gathering. The new Tree of Life mural extends along one wall of TFNB’s new East Waco bank. TFNB “Your Bank for Life” is at 715 Elm Ave. The mural reflects the commitment of TFNB, Creative Waco, Waco ISD student artists, and the broader Black community of East Waco.
Vincent Thomas and Cade Kegerreis were lead designers for the mural project, while Kristen Thompson and Tashita Bibles served as artist mentors. A film also captured the work, it Andreas Zaloumis served as film mentor.
An information card at the celebration said:
“The Tree of Life mural represents the unity that is rooted in community, wisdom, and understanding. Individuals grow from their ancestors, passing along knowledge of how they came to be. The many stories are often intertwined when focusing on a specific place, such as historically rich East Waco. This mural is designed to highlight the flourishing community rooted in Elm Street.
“Generations of families in East Waco have grown and thrived through hardships and represent a vibrant culture that has often been overlooked and under appreciated. Co-designers Vincent Thomas and Cade Kegerreis considered this project an opportunity to reflect these rich stories and respect the history of this neighborhood while looking to its future and aspirations.”
Prosper Waco has posted short videos of some of the comments made during the celebration — Andrea Barefield, Linda Lewis, and Fiona Bond.
The mural served as completion of ARTPrenticeship 2020, with the following apprentices participating in the project:
Jonathan Campos
Vanesa Carvajal
Lina Denson
Rafael Flores
Fate King
Zander Lim
Angelina Monroy
Jasmin Nunez
Lillian Olvera
Larissa Rodriguez
Niala Speedwell
Maria Duarte Tavera
Tahlia Tran
Ja’Nasia Whitfield
Ferrell Foster is acting executive director of Act Locally Waco and senior content specialist for care and communication with Prosper Waco.