Rudy Ruedas joins AgriLife Extension in Bexar County as youth outreach educator

Writer: Paul Schattenberg, 210-859-5752, paschattenberg@ag.tamu.edu

Contacts: Nelda Lebya Speller, 210-631-0400, nlspeller@ag.tamu.edu

Rudy Ruedas, 210-631-0400, rudy.ruedas@ag.tamu.edu

SAN ANTONIO — Rudy Ruedas is the new youth outreach educator for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office in Bexar County.

AgriLife Extension is the educational outreach agency of the Texas A&M University System and has offices in almost every Texas county.

Ruedas, who began his new position June 18, will work with youth in the agency’s 4-H military and public school youth outreach programs. His duties will include establishing curricula and programming to expand youth educational opportunities and helping youth develop life skills and positive character traits.

“Rudy brings a wealth of knowledge working with underserved populations,” said Nelda Lebya Speller, AgriLife Extension county director, Bexar County. “He has a high level of enthusiasm and a talent for motivating others with his excitement to succeed.”

Ruedas has a bachelor’s degree in public health from the University of Texas at San Antonio, where he was on the honor roll and president’s honor roll.

Prior to joining AgriLife Extension, Ruedas was a program coordinator for the Ware Foundation, based in Coral Gables, Florida, where he routinely created and implemented health and nutrition classes targeted toward different age groups. He also recruited and trained volunteers for a community coalition and presented community programs related to public health, safety and nutrition.

Ruedas was also a laboratory technician at the Laboratory of Health and Human Nutrition at UTSA, where he created health and nutrition curricula and co-created food safety presentations for San Antonio residents. He also supervised laboratory nutrition and exercise programs.

He also served as a program coordinator for the Friday Night Live program at Hardy Oak Elementary in San Antonio, where he trained adult volunteers on child safety, risk management and food handling while also providing health and wellness activities for students.

“I’m glad to be representing Bexar County through my new role with AgriLife Extension and look forward to working to benefit such a diverse area,” Ruedas said. “I’m hoping to help provide residents with the information and practical skills they need in order to have a safer, healthier and more prosperous lifestyle.”

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