Brownsville

A community of three second-year teachers and five first-year teachers serve at four different schools in the cities of Brownsville and Harlingen in the Diocese of Brownsville: Incarnate Word Academy, St. Joseph Academy, St. Anthony School, and Guadalupe Regional Middle School.

Laura Cassel
University of Notre Dame, 2010, B.A. Program of Liberal Studies
Guadalupe Regional Middle School, 7th and 8th Grade Language Arts
Student Council

Adam Barajas
Regis University, B.S. Chemistry and Religious Studies
St. Anthony Catholic, MS Math and Science

Matthew Wilsey
University of Notre Dame, 2010, B.S.
Guadalupe Regional Middle School, MS Math and Science
Sports Coach, Study Hall Monitor, Snack Monitor, Dismissal Assistant

Scott Jarvie
University of Notre Dame, B.A. English
St. Joseph Academy, HS English (9-12)

Vickey McBride
University of Notre Dame, B.A. History
St. Joseph Academy, HS Social Studies

Greg Rustico
University of Notre Dame, B.A. Political Science and Economics with a minor in Theology
St. Anthony Catholic, MS Social Studies and Language Arts

Megan Stull
University of Arizona, 2009, B.A. Mathematics and Civil Engineering
St. Joseph Academy, High School Pre-Calculus and Physics
Robotics Competition

Brownsville House

What is unique about your community?

We are the “ACE International Site." We are also not aware of any other community with a palapa in their backyard.

Schools served in Brownsville and Harlingen

Guadalupe Regional Middle School
Incarnate Word Academy
St. Anthony School
St. Joseph Academy

St. Joe Academy

St. Anthony School

Guadalupe Regional Middle School

Incarnate Word Academy

Provide a brief description of Brownsville:

Brownsville, Texas’ south-most city, is located “On the border, by the sea,” as the city’s motto reminds us: we are 4.5 hours south of San Antonio, 5 minutes north of Matamoros, Mexico, and 25 minutes west of South Padre Island. One needs only to turn on the radio, stop for lunch, or converse with the first person they meet to be reminded of the vibrant mix of cultures that defines almost every aspect of life in Brownsville. Experiencing America from a South-Texan vantage point is a new and often surprising experience for most ACE teachers, but for us, it has also been one of joy, warmth, and immense hospitality (and an unending supply of Mexican food).

What do you like most about Brownsville?

It might be easier to name what we DON’T like about the Rio Grande Valley! Our lives in Brownsville are marked by taquerias (taco restaurants) and raspa (snow-cone) stands on every corner, bilingual Mass every Sunday morning, and treasure-hunting at La Pulga (the flea market) on the weekends. Brownsville is a sensory experience, and we are blessed to be a part of it! Of course, in our opinion, our unparalleled community dinners are Brownsville’s finest treasure. Lounging on the beaches of South Padre Island in the middle of January isn’t bad, either.