United ISD gathered more than 200 friends and family of the late Board Member Ricardo Molina Sr. to pay the ultimate district tribute by dedicating a school in his name. The Ricardo Molina Middle School opened its doors to 740 sixth, seventh and eighth graders in August of 2022, and Mr. Molina even helped to plan his own dedication ceremony before sadly passing away in December of last year. He lost his life quietly in his Rio Bravo home after battling several health issues, but he never stopped loving his coveted position as Board Member for District 1, which he held for 26 years. On this special day, the school was bustling with excitement as some students attended their regular classes, while others in the band, mariachi, cheer and dance proudly performed for the guests. The late Mr. Molina chose to wait and have the dedication once the students could have time to prepare for the event. They did not disappoint, as the audience was truly impressed with the children's heartfelt presentations, including a special rendition by a student of "Amor Eterno" or everlasting love. The table decorations were full of details reminiscent of the man being honored, including a specially made book mark with Mr. Molina's favorite saying, "Advice from Grizzly, AKA, Ricardo Molina, Sr. "Stand your ground, sniff out opportunities, use your strength, live large, cherish the wilderness, know when to slow down."
The school colors, forest green and silver, were visible everywhere, and guests were invited to take a photo with a cut-out of a ferocious looking grizzly bear in a forest. Mr. Molina himself helped to name many things at the school including the mascot who he named after a loving nickname he gave his grandchildren, such as "Ricky-Bear," a student at the school he cherished. Mr. Molina's love for his family and school district were the focus of the dedication as several family, friends and co-workers made their way to the podium to pay homage to his life and career.
UISD Superintendent David H. Gonzalez said Mr. Molina is an institution to UISD, the longest serving board member the district has ever had.
"Mr. Molina was always very supportive of student success, always looking after our employees, making sure that they were well taken care of. This is a great day for UISD because we are celebrating the legacy of a man who stood for his morals and his values. He knew what it was for our kids to struggle in school. He always talked about what he had gone through. He always instilled in all of us, including myself, the value of education. If you didn't know him, he was in a wheelchair the last years of his life, and he already had both of his legs amputated, and I would tell him, 'Mr. Molina, please take care of yourself,' and he would always joke and say, 'I don't want to live forever,' but I think I got the last word because through the naming of the school, he will live forever."
His son Armando Molina, Principal of Cigarroa Middle School, was visibly touched with the beautiful tribute to his father by the district and his friends.
"I feel very proud today; I feel that this is a great day for our family, the Molina family and the Molina legacy that's left behind by my dad Ricardo Molina, and we are excited to be here with all the people from the community, the students that will be joining us for the presentation and all the people that had something to do with making this possible. I want to say thank-you to everybody. I like to refer to it as a grizzly spirit because he was somebody that was very fierce, and he was always a very happy, in-the-moment kind of person. I think that he would just be overwhelmed with happiness and humility and just be very humble to have this honor in his name, and I think it would have been a great honor for him to be here today."
Daughter-in-law and UISD Board Member, District 6, Secretary Michelle Molina said her father-in-law wanted to leave a legacy for his family, especially his children and grandchildren who came to remember their loved one.
"Mr. Molina hand-picked everyone that showed up today which we are very thankful and blessed for. He worked tirelessly throughout the years dedicating his life as a public servant to the children of the district, so it's a very special moment to see all his hard work being honored here today. You can feel him in the room today. I can see him clapping with his grizzly bear hands, really enjoying the day, and more than anything, making sure that the children of the school take a little piece of that, the hard work and dedication, and that will pay off in their future."
UISD Board Member, District 4, President Ramiro Veliz, III:
"It's a great morning, a great privilege to be here at the dedication of Molina Middle School for Mr. Ricardo Molina. He did a lot for the district over his long tenure as a board member, and this is a great honor for him today. I came on board ten years ago, and he was one of the first board members that I sat down with and spoke to him at length, and he was always available to talk. He gave me great advice. I've served as a board member looking up to him and having him as a role model. "
UISD Board Member, District 5, Javier Montemayor Jr.:
"This building was one of our 2013 bond issues that the voters approved and built, and it's a beautiful gem here in the South Laredo community. It's actually a recognition of his years of service to the board and the community here. Mr. Molina and I were very adamant in how we dealt with our children, and our gang intervention and the drug problems in the schools. Mr. Molina was an advocate for the kids, always there for them, always willing to go the extra mile for them."
UISD Board Member, District 2, Ricardo "Rick" Rodriguez:
"I'm excited. I'm pretty sure Mr. Molina, right now, is staring down with a big smile, and I'm sure he's pretty happy to see his dedication. He will be greatly missed, especially in the south. I miss his phone calls prior to a board meeting or before any important event. He would always call me and either get mad at me or he'd be telling me what's going to happen, discussing the agenda, so I do miss his phone calls."
UISD Board Member, District 1, Gilbert Aguilar, Jr.:
"I'm very honored to be here. As a father, family man, and public servant, he was always here for UISD, and he was always there for the students. We became good friends, and we are going to make sure his school and his legacy are always cherished by the community. He did mentor me a lot, and I'm going to try and do the best that I can to follow him. He was always there pushing for the students, paraprofessionals, the staff and the teachers, and to be fair across the board."
Ricardo Molina Middle School Principal Quetzalcoatl Alfredo Palapa said he will proudly speak about Mr. Molina's admirable characteristics with the students.
"Mr. Molina was an amazing man; we want to leave a grizzly legacy at the school. Mr. Molina taught all of us to be humble, to be honest; he was brutally honest, to be courageous, to be humanitarian. He taught us a lot of great things, so mis respetos para Mr. Molina always, and I learned a lot from that man."
The school is located at the intersection of Vientos and Bianca Roads within the Cuatro Vientos Sur Subdivision, West of Bob Bullock Loop. The two story building measures more than 111,000 square feet, and was built to accommodate 1,000 students.
Susan Carlson, the Executive Director of UISD Communications, was the Master of Ceremonies. She presented a video made by her Instructional Television team detailing the state-of-the-art facility inside and out.
"The school is equipped with everything students need to ensure their academic success. Parents and students alike can be proud and very impressed with UISD's new Ricardo Molina Middle School," as stated in the video.
In his final thoughts, Superintendent Gonzalez added, " It's a magnificent building; but in actuality, it is the children, the students who will carry on the legacy and name of this beautiful school, Ricardo Molina Middle School. Go Grizzlies!"
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