Antonia Soliz: From Head Start parent to nutrition specialist

It all started in 1999. Antonia Soliz lived in the small town of Premont, Texas – about an hour of Corpus Christi – with her four children attending Head Start. She decided to volunteer to be close to her children and lend a helping hand to the program.

As time passed, she was hired as a teacher’s assistant and later as a teacher.

Life brought her to Houston in 2010, where she accepted a job as a teacher at AVANCE’s Mangum Center. Antonia’s career progressed to the point that she became a center assistant for the 2018-2019 program year.

At AVANCE, she had the opportunity to grow her career as an educator, finding a place where she feels proud of what she does and what the organization does for the community.

“I would never leave Head Start because I always tell others how great the agency is. We not only focus on teaching the children and letting them grow, but we also help the parents achieve higher goals, like GED and a better life for their children. It says a lot about the agency.”

Antonia has witnessed first-hand how programs like Head Start can make a difference in the life of a family.

“The Head Start program encouraged me as a mom to work at the agency and get an education. I started as a teacher’s assistant, but Head Start motivated me to earn my associate’s degree in education.”

A new professional path

Her career at AVANCE progressed tremendously, to the point that she became a Senior Program Assistant at the Walters Road Center. But another opportunity came knocking on her door in May 2023 – she was offered a position as a Nutrition Specialist.

Working alongside her supervisor, Jennifer Molina, she now oversees that the nutritional needs of every child at AVANCE are met.

“We’re ensuring the children with special diets get the correct meal they need. Some of them are allergic to eggs, milk, or wheat. We have to make sure the menu we create for them doesn’t contain anything that causes them allergies,” she said. “We don’t only work with the parents of children with food allergies, but with parents who prefer specific kinds of milk or a specific set of foods for their children. AVANCE caters to the needs of each child personally.”

To this day, Antonia is proud of her work and sees the organization as a vital part of her life.

“Within AVANCE, you will find a family. They will work with you in many ways to achieve your full potential.”