Still In The Driver's Seat

Daniel Trevino’s journey to teaching began in 2008 when he enrolled at a local university and began his trek toward obtaining a college degree. At the time, he was working for the Donna Independent School District as a bus driver – but he wanted to pursue his dream of teaching to set an example for his four children. 

“One day I asked my son which colleges he was considering going to,” Trevino said, noting he has been asking this question of his children since they were young. “This time my son responded by asking me what college I attended. I had nothing to tell him, so that’s when I knew I needed to go.” 

He enrolled at The University of Texas-Pan American (now UTRGV) to pursue his dream of obtaining a degree but admits it wasn’t easy. Working full-time, attending school full-time, and being a full-time dad presented many challenges and there were several times he wanted to quit. However, he persevered when he thought of his father who was battling Stage IV cancer. “He still fights to this day and regardless of his condition, he always has a smile on his face and is full of love,” Trevino said. “I convinced myself that everything I was going through was not going to be a challenge for me.”

Trevino began his job as an educator in mid-February 2017 teaching Social Studies, World Geography and World History at Donna High School. “It’s a totally different environment but the responsibility is about the same,” Trevino said. “When I was a bus driver, I dealt with students’ lives every day. It required a lot of multi-tasking. As a teacher, I still deal with students’ lives, particularly their performance in class.”

Trevino offers these words of advice to anyone thinking about giving up on their dreams: “Keep moving forward and fight for what you want. If you want something, go get it. If you work hard for it, you will eventually accomplish your goals.” #IAmTXEd  Donna Independent School District