By Intern Itzayanna Lopez

STAAR Ascender students who had read and seen the movie “Por Unos Elotes: Harvest of Redemption” also had the honor of having Mr. Eddie Howell, the author, and Mr. Joey, who plays old Oscar in the movie, come to campus and give a presentation in the auditorium which was followed with a Q and A where they answered any questions the students had.

“Por Unos Elotes” was inspired by a true story of events that occurred in South Texas in the 1920’s. It is a coming-of- age story about a young Oscar’s struggle to face the challenges of growing up without his parents and confronting the haunting demons of his past. Oscar grows up and attempts to overcome the resentment incurred after witnessing the brutal murder of his father. Oscar’s journey is threaded by the very vivid colors of reality in life including love, hate, faith, fear, hope, revenge, and forgiveness.

Author Eddie Howell was born and raised in Mercedes, Texas. He started working in the fields at the age of 5 helping his mother and older brother in the cotton fields. Every summer the type of field he was working in would change, like one summer it would be cotton, then tomatoes, then watermelons, etc. He started writing books as soon as he retired.  He has now completed four books: 1.) Por Unos Elotes, 2.) The Pact, 3.) Your Land or Your Life, and 4.) Life Rocks and Rolls,

At the end of the presentation, Mr. Howell’s final message was, “Be the captain of your own life, connect with God and ask yourself what I can do to make a difference in this world and be able to leave a positive legacy.”