Tony Forina turned the live auction at the VAMOS 30th Anniversary celebration into more than a fundraising exercise, using humor, quick delivery and decades of experience behind a microphone to engage the audience while keeping attention focused on helping Rio Grande Valley students.

The Valley Alliance of Mentors for Opportunities and Scholarships celebrated its 30th anniversary Aug. 22, 2026, at Bert Ogden Arena, recognizing students, alumni and community supporters who have advanced its work across the Rio Grande Valley.

Thirty years after Valley Alliance of Mentors for Opportunities and Scholarships (VAMOS) began helping Rio Grande Valley students pursue higher education, former scholarship recipients gathered to celebrate an organization they said did far more than help pay for college. It gave students opportunities that changed careers, strengthened families, and created a new generation committed to giving back.

USC Rossier welcomes first cohort of TOMMY students.

First generation or limited-income students are less likely to persist or graduate from college. TRIO programs were created to address this problem. This study compares retention and graduation rat...