Reprint from the Progress Times - March 14, 2008
©Progress Times 2008 - All Rights Reserved

Patricia O'Caña-Olivarez announces intent to run

 

Patricia O’Caña-Olivarez has announced her bid for MCISD School Board Trustee, Place 4.

She has been married over 11 years to Hector Olivarez and they have one daughter, Victoria Sarai Olivarez. Both she and her husband are self-employed. She is an attorney, with her office is in Mission, and is a member of the State Bar of Texas and their Family Law Section.

Her husband is co-owner of A-Plus Medical Supply, Inc. and has been serving Mission and the surrounding area for more than 10 years.

Patricia’s family ties are deeply embedded in Mission. She is the daughter of Guadalupe and Jorge O’Caña Sr., and daughter-in-law of Maggie and Joe Olivarez. Her grandparents are Apolina “Polita” O’Caña and Antonio O’Caña Sr. She is also the granddaughter of Amelia and Ramon Sotullo. She and her husband have been members of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church for over 13 years where they have been catechist teachers, eucharistic ministers and volunteers for countless church plays, fundraisers and functions.

She is a 1991 Mission High School honors graduate. She then earned a business management degree from the University of Texas-Pan American. In May 2002, she earned a Juris Doctor from St. Mary’s University School of Law. As an attorney, she feels that she possesses the counseling and meditation skills necessary to unify the school board to better serve the community, district employees and students’ needs.

Community involvement and advocating for people’s needs has been instilled in Patricia from a very young age. As a young student she volunteered her time to the Mission Service Project which helps needy families rebuild or repair their homes in surrounding colonias.  Throughout the years, she has volunteered, through her church, to take food and clothing to those families who are in need.

Today, she volunteers at local schools by participating as a speaker for Career Day, MCISD’s Principal for a Day program, and as a judge for U.I.L. events. She feels that it is important to teach children at a very young age that any dream, regardless of whatever obstacle is before them, is possible to achieve. It is also important to teach children that their education is an asset that can never be taken away, she said in a prepared announcement.

School board trustees are elected volunteers that are expected to serve each district employee, student and community equally and not just serve a select group, she said. It is essential to maintain the integrity of MCISD, and one way of attaining this goal is to work together as a school board and community instead of working against each other. There needs to be an uncomplicated and direct line of communication between the school board trustees, superintendent, administrators and district employees.

However, this is not possible if school board members make themselves unapproachable, she added. Patricia possesses the values, determination and work ethic necessary to serve the district employees, students and community. School board trustees may not always agree with one another; however, she feels that it is a school board trustee’s duty to focus on making decisions that will equally serve the best interests of the district. If given the opportunity to serve as a MCISD School Board Trustee, she will serve with equality and fairness for each member of this district, she said.