Audrey Garcia

A Mexican American's Love for Nature

Photo By Michael Garcia

Audrey Renae Garcia

Journalism senior at Texas State University

Hometown: Rio Grande Valley

arg136@txstate.edu

Audrey Renae Garcia, 24, is a little more than just a senior at Texas State University. Garcia, the 2^nd oldest out of 9, is the first to receive a bachelor’s degree in her family. The journalism major, with a political science degree completed, has a big heart when it comes to nature. Born in the Rio Grande Valley and moved to Wimberley, TX. 

“My love of nature grew in Wimberley, TX,” Garcia states. “Before Austin started growing and encroaching on the grounds, it was a retirement community with about 2,000 people living there. When we first moved there it was only 1,600.”

 Nature had become Garcia’s safe spot growing up, a holy ground meant for her to protect it. Her love of nature is the driving force for her pursuit in becoming an environmental lawyer. Garcia has been all around the country, including Iceland and Amsterdam. Before she was able to afford to go across America, Garcia remembers when her grandparents were truck drivers and showed her the world through the back of their semi-truck. 

“There wasn’t a window, you couldn’t sit on their laps in the front. There wasn’t a lot you could see. But, there were these little holes, these vents in the back, and you could open them up and you could see things kind of brushing by,” Garcia reminisces. 

Garcia hopes to connect with nature more on the trip to Yosemite National Park. Nature serves as a reminder as to why she’s doing what she is doing and where she sees herself in the future, a protector of nature so that her future children can gain the love she has for it.

-By Michael Garcia