“Back in Laredo, I was a one-woman show, so working here with an amazing team is wonderful,” she said.

With so many Hispanic residents in the area, Garza is grateful to be a part of an ever-expanding and diversifying field - locally and nationally.

“I think KBTV 4 offers a lot of diversity, not just with Angel and me either. Being Hispanic means that we’re very loyal to each other and other members of our team. I think our viewers see that in the work that we do, so people want to cling on to that.

“I think Angel and I perhaps bring a certain spice to the show and viewers tune in for that. We want to tap into different kinds of viewers, because the audience can understand us and where we come from,” she said.

As a testament to their diversity, KBTV 4 does a Webcast in Spanish where Rocio, Angel and other members can reach out to the Spanish-speaking community.

Rocio encourages many young people to become bilingual and “embrace both languages.”

“I think it’s a gift anytime you can speak more than one language and it’s certainly going to benefit you in your job and life in the long run,” she said. “Embrace the fact that you have the ability to learn both or even up more than that. People should embrace their culture and not be afraid to learn both English and Spanish.”

Although Garza is a career woman, her Hispanic culture and sense of family are important to her. When asked about the situation with illegal immigrants and possible legislation that would deport them, she said she hopes a peaceful solution is on the horizon.

“The Hispanic community is very close-knit and I would hate to see families separated. We’re so big on family, morals, values, tradition, religion and our faith. I would hate to see families lose that in some way,” she said. “I just hope that everybody comes out happy and that people can stay with their families.”

With her one-year anniversary behind her, Garza plans on making the next year even better for herself and her community.

“This year I have worked so much; it’s been a year of many tests and many divine delays but it’s been good for me,” she said. “I’m certainly not the same person I was a year ago.”