Hello,

I am Eric Michael Garza. I was born in the Rio Grande Valley to working-class parents. For most of her life, my mother worked as a secretary. She spent the last 20+ years of her career working as a principal’s secretary at an elementary school. Today, many close family friends are current or retired teachers. My father held several jobs throughout his lifetime including working for a produce packaging company, owning a small business, and working as a janitor. Neither of my parents had the privilege of completing college, so they scarified to ensure their children had the opportunities they missed.

In 2001, following my high school graduation, I moved to San Antonio to attend St. Mary’s University. After about two years, I stopped attending school and began to work full-time. I worked as a retail salesperson, bank teller, and call center representative. In about 2010, I returned part-time to community college thanks to my employer’s education assistance program. In 2013, at the age of 30, I earned my Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). That same year, I took a leap of faith and left my full-time job of about five years and took on the challenge (and debt) of law school. Now, I am a proud alum of St. Mary’s University, where I earned a Master of Business Administration in Business Management and a law degree. Today, I am a practicing attorney and defend individuals and companies in civil litigation.

The path to where I find myself today was filled with challenges. I am grateful for my parents, family, friends, mentors, coworkers, and community for the unending support and faith in me along the way. I recognize my privilege and understand that with this blessed life comes the responsibility to give back. I serve on committees and boards focused on increasing access to justice, increasing diversity in the legal profession, growing the network and leadership skills of young professionals, and ensuring access to the arts for all San Antonians.

Finally, when not working or volunteering, I enjoy spending quality time with family, my dogs Clinton and Lincoln, and my amazing friends. In addition, I enjoy hiking at Eisenhower Park and jogging through the city trails.

Now, I look forward to meeting you and learning more about you and our shared vision of what is next for Texas!