Hoy Empieza Una Nueva Carrera’’— Today, a New Race Begins

On our car rides to school, my father loved to motivate my brother and me For the year ahead. Every August, without fail, he would say: “Hoy empieza una nueva carrera …”—today, a new race begins.

He explained that a good, comfortable lead early in a race gives you the best chance at the gold. So he urged us to start strong. That message stuck with me. Even now, long past my school days, August and September still bring that same sense of renewal and momentum.

For many young lawyers, this season feels like a fresh start. Whether you’re stepping into a new role, setting goals for your practice, taking on leadership opportunities, or simply catching your breath after a busy summer, this is a time to reset, refocus, and reengage.

For those of us involved in bar service, September often marks the real beginning of the bar year. In the Texas Young Lawyers Association, it’s when our board of directors, both new and returning, gathers for its first in-person meeting. It’s the first time our chair will strike the gavel to open and close a board meeting. It’s the first time this year’s group will share a meal, exchange ideas, and lay the foundation for what we’ll accomplish together.

Of course, much happens before September. At TYLA, we don’t wait for the school bell, we get a running head start. From the moment the bar year begins on June 1, our committees are already meeting, planning, and pushing projects forward. Directors are already leading, collaborating, and volunteering. By the time September arrives, real momentum is already underway.

Still, there’s something powerful about that first in-person gathering. I remember walking into my first TYLA board meeting—nervous, unsure, but hopeful. I had met some of my new director class and joined a few committee calls, but most faces were unfamiliar. By the end of that weekend—fireworks and all—those strangers became colleagues. Soon after, they became friends.

That is the kind of good, comfortable lead I hope we all find this year: one rooted in connection, trust, and purpose.

It’s often said that bar service is about the projects, but it’s also, deeply and meaningfully, about the people. The friendships I’ve made through TYLA have been forged through shared effort and a collective drive to do something that matters. The beauty of our profession lies in what happens when we show up for each other.

Hoy empieza una nueva carrera. Let’s start strong—together.

ALYSON A. MARTINEZ
2025-2026 President, Texas Young Lawyers Association

Above: Alyson A. Martinez on her first day of school in 1994. Photo courtesy of Alyson A. Martinez.

Hoy Empieza Una Nueva Carrera’’— Today, a New Race Begins

Above: Alyson A. Martinez
on her first day of school in 1994.
Photo courtesy of Alyson A. Martinez.