I’m the daughter of a public school teacher, Yolanda P. Torres, who devoted her life to educating children in the Edgewood and San Antonio Independent School Districts, and an attorney, Pete Torres, Jr., who spent his life advocating for the rights of every day San Antonians like you and me.
When I was growing up, Mom’s students often became part of our family, as she spent countless hours working with the young men and women in her classrooms. Whether having classes to the house for group projects such as her famous Renaissance Fairs or by spending time tutoring students who needed a little extra attention, Mom’s passion and dedication influenced my outlook and that of my siblings, teaching us the importance of education, and that we have a responsibility to always give back to our community.
While mom worked diligently and quietly with her students, Dad worked tirelessly and vocally to combat injustice head on. He had a strong personality and never backed down from a fight when it was the right thing to do. In the late 1960’s, he won an at-large race for City Council, defeating the establishment’s political machine and giving a voice to thousands of people in the process.
Both of my parents made a difference in the lives of those around them, in large part because they were each passionate about empowering people and strengthening our community.
One might say my parents’ passions live on through me in my choice of profession and my dedication to community service. I’ve worked hard, along with my brother, Paul Torres, to build our family’s law practice, The Torres Law Firm, where we focus on consumer issues and helping families and small businesses prevail against unfair consumer practices. I also practice family law, helping moms, dads, grandparents, and children when they are caught in the midst of family law issues.
In the community, I’ve served on the boards of non-profits who focus on parenting skills (Healthy Families) and top-rate daycare for low-income families (Inman Christian Center). I’m also trained as a CASA volunteer to advocate on behalf of children victimized by abuse and neglect.
My volunteer activities are focused on children’s issues because I strongly believe that when we invest in our children, our community triumphs.
This passion is why I decided to run for State Representative. In the last legislative session, the Texas Legislature turned its back on our children and our community.
While one in every four children in Texas lives in poverty, while we have one of the highest rates of uninsured children in the country, and while more than 600,000 Texas children have one unemployed parent who can’t find a job, our legislature decimated the very thing that can help children out of these problems by turning its back on Texas’ commitment to education and refusing to fund our public schools.
When given the chance to stand up for our children, District 117s current representative toed the party line, and much less than fight for our kids, didn’t even say a word.
When I was growing up, my parents would say, “There are times when you just can’t sit on the sidelines and have no choice but to take a stand.”
I’m taking a stand now. Please join me.
