WESLACO – Aspiring science and engineering GEAR UP students have a Rio Grande Valley mentor who’s made it his mission to encourage them to prosper.

Heriberto Reynoso is the CEO and owner of Reybotics. He works with local school districts and GEAR UP students teaching them about the future of engineering and science in the Valley.

“The future for Reybotics, and the future for robotics in the Valley, as I see it as one that cultivates and harvests students locally. As opposed to importing engineers and scientists, we will be cultivating that here so that we create an entire conduit to outer space,” he said.

Reynoso, a former GEAR UP student himself, remembers the days when he enjoyed building robots. He said he once took his mother’s vacuum cleaner and used a part to build a robot. He won second place in a national competition.

He said his experience is working towards helping students reach the outer limits and that includes Mars.

“And that’s why we have this mission to Mars program for young students. And essentially create a pipeline to where you get them early. We inspire them, we motivate them and you don’t just let them lose. You continue, you trade that pipeline to where middle school and high school are exposed as well to these concepts,” he said.

Reynoso said with Reybotics, he hopes to take the Rio Grande Valley to the next level.

“I want to have the Rio Grande Valley be the next Silicone Valley, if you will. We have the talent, we have a brain drain, all these students are leaving the Valley going to all these colleges and then they stay there, they don’t come back,” he said.

Reynoso mentioned there are plenty of other reasons to keep students in the Valley.

“And that’s the launch pad in Brownsville, Texas. Space X will soon reach production numbers where they can’t single handedly launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida. They will have to launch from other sites. They are already doing it. They are launching from California and so they will be launching here, from Brownsville, Texas. And this entire Valley will be the conduit to, this will be the portal to outer space,” he said.

You can catch GEAR UPS segments Thursdays on CHANNEL 5 NEWS at 5.