TYLA President's Opinion • June 2026
ABOVE: Alyson A. Martinez with her grandmother Hortencia Valdez de
Maltos in 1995. . Photo courtesy of Alyson A. Martinez.
Por Algo Será
The Journey To This Moment In Time
In my childhood, i was lucky enough to spend every day with my beloved Güelita Tencha. She took me to mass, fed me all my favorite foods, and spoiled me endlessly. But more than anything, she left me with lessons that have stayed with me long after those days.
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Always wear something new for special occasions.
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Know when it’s the right time to call it, even if that means walking away from a lottery scratch-off in a gas station parking lot.
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And most importantly: “por algo será” (there must be a reason for this).
If you’ve followed along this year, you may have noticed a theme in my “dichos” (sayings). Many are rooted in a quiet kind of magic, one grounded in faith. Faith that things unfold the way they are meant to—and that even the detours are leading you somewhere.
In my family, por algo será isn’t just something we say, it’s how we live. Missed flights, closed doors, opportunities that slip away—we choose to believe they weren’t meant for us, at least not in that moment.
It’s a pretty good way to move through life.
I didn’t grow up with a clear path to the law, but I always knew I wanted to do meaningful work. When the plans I thought I had didn’t come together, new ones did. When one door closed, another opened.
Por algo será.
That belief carried me into public service, into bar service, and eventually into spaces I never imagined for myself. Even the setbacks became part of the path that led me here.
To this year. To this role. To the incredible honor of serving as the 2025-2026 president of the Texas Young Lawyers Association.
And what a year it has been. We have told the stories of lawyers serving their communities through For the Public.
We have continued building spaces for first-generation lawyers to feel seen and supported. We have strengthened our partnerships with local affiliates across the state and made room for conversations about lawyer wellness.
None of that work happens alone.
It is the result of a dedicated Texas Young Lawyers Association Board of Directors and a community of young lawyers who continue to show up for each other and for the people we serve. I am endlessly grateful to have been part of it.
When I first got involved in TYLA, I didn’t know where it would lead. But I trusted the process. I stayed open to what was in front of me. And all along, I carried Güelita Tencha’s words with me.
Por algo será.
Hortencia Valdez de Maltos was an extraordinary woman. She believed in doing good above all else and in the power of perseverance. I honor her not just in the small things—like my love of hydrangeas, her namesake—but in the life I try to lead and the work I choose to do.
As this chapter comes to a close, I find myself returning to her words once more.
For every unexpected turn, every closed door, every moment that brought me here, por algo será.
ALYSON A. MARTINEZ 2025-2026 President, Texas Young Lawyers Association
