Texas

Texas Tech student operates 3 businesses in Lubbock. Here’s her inspiring story

Published

2 years ago

April 21, 2024

Texas Tech student operates 3 businesses in Lubbock. Here’s her inspiring story

“What is embedded in your DNA?”

That is the first question Natalie Snow, a full-time first-generation Texas Tech student, asks her employees at Lubbock’s HTeaO stores.

“What is in my DNA is taking care of people, and having a passion to serve something greater than me,” Snow said. “Putting a smile on people’s faces has always been something that I’ve been, probably, an advocate for, for so long.”

Snow manages to serve her passion for people as the head of operations for HTeaO in Lubbock, and recently opened the third location. Her job description consists of payroll and back-end business, but she also trains her managers and helps in every aspect from cleaning to making tea alongside her team.

“I’m never going to ask (my team) to do something if I can’t do it myself,” Snow said. “I think there’s not many managers nowadays who have that mindset.”

Snow, who graduated from Monterey High School in 2020, has become an inspiration to her team, and both her current and former educators. She started working when she was 15, became an HTeaO manager at 19, then took over as head of operations at 21, all while attending classes.

“If you were to ask me when I was in high school, I would have never thought that I’d be doing this,” Snow said.

Snow’s success is not unexpected, according to one of her Texas Tech instructors and her Monterey orchestra director.

“She’s just like her grades in my class – straight A’s,” said Jazmine Brantley, a lecturer at Texas Tech. “Hustling to take notes, Natalie shows an eagerness to learn, but it’s not to just pass the course. It’s to perfect her own skillsets so she’s an unstoppable leader as she embarks on her journey.”

Brett Berridge, Monterey orchestra director, felt that even in high school, Snow would become an inspiring leader.

“Whether it was in class or in small ensembles, she showed she wasn’t going to ever give less than her best – so she proved every day how she had the will to never give up,” Berridge said. “To see the way Natalie has stepped back in to help support Lubbock ISD at every turn has been something pretty special. Any time I’ve asked for help, she not only says, “YES!”, but she asks about the next step and how we can go even bigger to get even more bang from her support.”

From groceries to leading operations: Here’s how Snow’s path to leadership began at age 15

Snow started working when she was 15 years old, first at Market Street, then Chick-Fil-A, while also attending Monterey High School.

“I got exposed to tons of leaders and managers, and that’s where my leadership grew,” Snow said. “I loved (HTeaO) as a customer. I looked around and thought, ‘I could work here.’ At the time, I never imagined this is what it would come to in a short two-and-a-half years.”

By 19, she interviewed for the assistant manager position at HTeaO on Milwaukee Avenue. Two weeks later, the general manager quit, and her superior asked Snow if she wanted to move up.

“It put me in a really difficult spot, but I’m always up for a challenge,” Snow said. “I was kind of nervous, but I took it on and excelled up. It kind of came to luck for me, but it was the hard work that I put in to get where I’m at now.”

She continued to take the initiative, creating her own position as the marketing director for Lubbock’s operations. When her superior stepped down, Snow moved up once more to become the area’s head of operations.

“He said ‘the only person I trust is you with this business,’” Snow said. “I was 21 when I took it on, so it’s been a wild ride.”

Part of that wild ride caused her to change her former STEM major to business in her junior year of college.

“After getting the marketing director position, I found a niche for digital marketing, community involvement, donation, everything that goes into marketing,” Snow said. “It took a couple tears to have to switch my major as a junior out of the blue, but I’ve loved it. It was probably one of the best decisions I’ve made.”

The decision also continues to improve her HTeaO team, as she can take what she learns at Tech and share it with her employees.

“When we have our management meetings, I’m able to tell them about what we’re learning,” Snow said. “And I use it in what we’re talking about, and what we’re going through. It provides a knowledge base, and adds more of that education to people who wouldn’t normally get it.”

Trailblazing a path for women leaders

Her experience as a young leader has encouraged her to give other women the same opportunities. All of her managers are women under the age of 25, and Snow trains them by using information she continues to learn at Texas Tech.

“Some people will say (19-year-olds), they’re not ready to handle a business,” Snow said. “We like to break those standards and say any 19-year-old can do it. I’m a believer in growing the future of young female leaders and business leaders.”

Customers often see these leaders-in-training behind the counter at Lubbock’s HTeaO locations – 6704 Milwaukee Ave., 2616 50th St., and 5105 98th Street. Two of those leaders include General Manager Kayden Crawford, who has been friends with Snow since middle school, and Assistant Manager Jadyn Morris.

“She really is inspiring, and she showed us that it is possible for women to get up there in business,” Crawford said. “She’s actually the reason I transferred to the business major as well.”

Morris agreed that Snow is an inspiration, and attributed Snow with helping her come out of her shell.

“I started building those relationships with my coworkers, and I feel like it was really because she got me out of my shell, make me more susceptible to seeing myself in a management position,” Morris said. “I want to be a good manager and leader like her.”

Snow’s advice for upcoming leaders and managers: ‘Go for it.’

“My advice, especially management majors that I’ve met along my way, is to go out there and get the experience,” Snow said. “Make sure you know how to treat people, how to talk to people, and what’s in the best interest for (your employees), not just yourself or your business.”

Snow’s advice also included:

Have confidence.
Prove why you are the one for the position.
Do the not-so-fun things.
Treat people right.
Network.
Go for the big position.
Follow your passion.
Find a company that aligns with your values.
Be ethical.

“If you’re feeling the same way that I did when I was younger and you want to make an impact but don’t know where to start, start with what’s embedded in your DNA,” Snow said. “We need more leaders in this world, especially strong female leaders.”

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How to Watch Temple vs North Texas: Live Stream NCAA College Football, TV Channel

Published

7 hours ago

November 28, 2025

Press Room

The North Texas Mean Green (10-1) looks for a program-record 11th win and a spot in the American championship game on Friday afternoon when they host a Temple Owls (5-6) squad still trying to become bowl eligible after three straight losses.

How to Watch Temple vs North Texas

When: Friday, November 28, 2025
Time: 3:30 PM ET
TV Channel: ESPN
Live Stream: Fubo (try for free)

North Texas won its fifth straight game on Saturday night, rolling to a 56-24 road victory at Rice after erasing an early 14-0 deficit. Drew Mestemaker threw for 469 yards, finishing 19-of-23 with three touchdowns, and also ran for a score. Caleb Hawkins ran for 97 yards and three TDs on 20 carries, and Ashton Gray also had a rushing touchdown. Wyatt Young had a huge night with eight catches for 295 yards and two scores, and Tre Williams III caught a TD pass.

Temple’s slide continued on Saturday with a 37-13 loss to visiting Tulane. Evan Simon threw for 168 yards and two touchdowns, but the running game was limited to just 20 yards. Colin Chase and Peter Clarke made scoring catches in the loss. Simon absorbed four sacks before he was pulled from the game.

Eric Morris was announced on Tuesday as the new head coach at Oklahoma State and will leave North Texas at the end of the season. The Mean Green haven’t won a conference title since the 2004 Sun Belt championship and have a simple win-and-in scenario to reach the American championship game. They are 2-0 all-time against Temple, including a 24-17 road win on Nov. 30.

This is a great college football matchup that you will not want to miss; make sure to tune in and catch all the action.

Live stream Temple vs North Texas on Fubo: Start your subscription now!

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Guidelines for Texas’ controversial school voucher program released

Published

1 day ago

November 27, 2025

Press Room

Guidelines for Texas’ controversial school voucher program released

TEXAS (KTRK) — The State Comptroller’s Office has released guidelines for the Texas Education Freedom Accounts. This program is also referred to as school choice or school vouchers, and has stirred up controversy.

It’s funded through $1B taxpayer dollars, and while proponents say it gives families the choice to pick the best education for their child, critics have said it takes money away from already underfunded and struggling public school systems.

This program is open to students in pre-K through high school. Standard students who wish to attend a state-approved private school can receive approximately $10,800 per child, per year.

Students with disabilities or additional learning needs must have their individual education program, or IEP, on file with the school district to be eligible for up to $30,000 per student, per year

And homeschooled children can get up to $2,000 per child, per year.

SEE ALSO: Private school vouchers are now law in Texas. Here’s how they will work

State law dictates that priority will be given to children who have siblings already in the program and based on income and the federal poverty line. If more students enroll than funding allows, a lottery will be instituted.

Eyewitness News previously reported that the funds would probably fund around 90,000 students, even though the Texas Education Agency estimated in 2024 that over 5 million school-aged children live in Texas.

The first important enrollment date comes for private schools and vendors who want to accept voucher students, and is part of the one billion dollars the state is pouring into it. The State Comptroller’s office says schools and vendors can start signing on through Odyssey on Dec. 9. Odyssey is the company the state selected to run the voucher lottery and operate a platform that allows families to spend the money awarded to them by the state.

The second important date comes for families, which is Feb. 4. That’s when families can start signing up students. The State Comptroller said this gives the state and families ample time to make decisions ahead of the 2026-27 school year

The State Comptroller said schools that wish to apply for the program must have a Texas location and have been accredited for at least two years, but this applies to schools both in and outside of Texas, so in theory, a program accredited outside of Texas could build a campus in the state this year and still be eligible.

SEE ALSO: ABC13 obtains exclusive HISD student enrollment records for 2025-26 school year

The state is also dictating that private schools wishing to be a part of the program will have to administer an assessment to voucher students in grades 3 through 12

The program will be monitored by the State Comptroller’s office, which will partner with a private group to audit the program at least once a year.

State education groups pushed the state to be more transparent about how families were spending money and where, though our partners at the Houston Chronicle note the state rejected those ideas.

For more news updates, follow Lileana Pearson on Facebook, X and Instagram.

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Pack Closes Maui Invitational with Loss to Texas – NC State University Athletics

Published

2 days ago

November 27, 2025

Press Room

Pack Closes Maui Invitational with Loss to Texas – NC State University Athletics

LAHAINA, Hawaii – The 23^rd-ranked NC State men’s basketball team dropped its final game in the Maui Invitational, falling to Texas, 102-97, on Wednesday afternoon.

The Longhorns hit 16 three-pointers, shooting 50 percent from long-range for the game. The 16 three-pointers tie for the most ever made by an NC State opponent.

The first 12 minutes of the game featured the two teams going back and forth, but with Texas holding a 25-23 the Longhorns went on an extended 20-7 run to take its largest lead of the game, 45-30, with 1:33 to play.

The Pack ended the half on a mini 7-2 run to go into the locker room down 10, 47-37.

NC State opened the second half on a 16-7 run to get within one on a Paul McNeil three-pointer with 15:09 to play.

Texas stayed in front though until Alyn Breed drove past the Longhorn defense to lay it in and give the Pack a 71-70 lead with 7:51 to go.

The lead was short-lived though as Texas immediately responded with a 10-0 spurt to retake the lead and the Pack was never able to get closer than five points the rest of the way.

Quadir Copeland led NC State with a career-high 28 points. He finished the game 10-of-14 from the field and also had a team-high six assists.

Ven-Allen Lubin finished one rebound shy of a double-double with 23 points and nine rebounds while Paul McNeil finished with 20 points.

It’s the first time NC State has had three players all score 20 or more points in the same game in more than 20 years.

NC State ended the game with a 46-20 advantage in points in the paint, but Texas had a 24-7 advantage in fast break points and the Longhorns shot 55.8 percent from the field and made 28 of its 34 free throw attempts.

NC State is back in action next Wednesday when it plays at Auburn as part of the ACC-SEC Challenge. Tipoff at Auburn is scheduled for 9:15 p.m. ET and the game will be televised on ESPN.

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