Risk brings reward for new Managing Editor Ybarra

Matthew Ybarra has spent his life overcoming obstacles, confronting fear and taking risks, and his tenacity has been rewarded. This month Ybarra was named Managing Editor of the Navasota Examiner. From a parttime Sports Reporter to Senior Staff Writer and now, the Managing Editor, Ybarra is an inspiring example of what love, perseverance and trust can accomplish, making the past an often-unreliable predictor of the future!

Behind every successful man…

Ybarra’s school years were marked by absenteeism, in part due to asthma. Falling behind, he eventually dropped out. The General Equivalency Diploma (GED) he earned was not accepted by the military, so he enrolled in a school as an electrician’s apprentice, but his brother was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Family first, Ybarra dropped out again.

He said, “I’ve always worked. I’ve always had a job but when Scott (McDonald) called me, I didn’t think I was qualified.”

So just how did Ybarra become involved with sports writing, McDonald and the Navasota Examiner?

Ybarra said, “Sports writing came about because of my lovely wife.”

While at work in the ErgoGenesis Parts Department one day in 2014, Ybarra received a call from then Examiner publisher McDonald inviting him to interview for a sports writing position.

Ybarra said, “Lucy was involved with Workforce Solutions, so she knew all about resumes – that’s what she did for a living. She sent my resume when she saw the ad in the newspaper.”

Ybarra explained that Lucy’s behind-the-scenes efforts stemmed from a conversation early in their marriage about the Ybarra family’s dedication to Rattler Friday night football.

He said, “She let me know how expensive that was – tickets, gas money, going out to eat every Friday night – and that we couldn’t afford it. I said that’s how we were raised. That’s what we do. It’s our tradition and we were going to keep on doing it.”

He continued, “Her solution was that if I was going to go to these games, I may as well be getting paid!”

Ybarra was shocked when McDonald called and was hesitant, but Lucy encouraged him saying, “Just go.” McDonald saw his passion for sports and despite the lack of writing experience or knowledge of how to keep stats, McDonald promised to teach Ybarra everything he needed to know. Ybarra covered his first sports event that night, a scrimmage in Iola, and soon he was covering sports countywide.

Taking a gamble

As a student, Ybarra liked writing and performed well on the reading portion of TAAS tests.

He chuckled, “My biggest problem was research. I never liked to do the research, pulling out the encyclopedia and documenting where you got everything.”

Fast forward to late 2018. With a slot available for a fulltime news writer, publisher Ana Cosino approached Ybarra about the position. He recalls that immediately, a red flag of fear and doubt popped up.

He told Cosino, “I don’t know how to cover commissioners’ court. I don’t know how to cover the school board or write accident reports.”

Ybarra admits going from sports to news and feature writing was a gamble, but the decision was made by “a lot of talking with my wife and a lot of praying.” The prospect of leaving a job he was comfortable in was “scary.”

He said, “People ask me where I went to school. At first, I was reserved. Now I tell them the truth – ‘I didn’t go to school. I’m learning on-the-go.’ This is the way it is, and it inspires a lot of people.”

Highlights and lowlights

Ybarra has had the opportunity to witness the best and worst in people.

He said, “I will say one of the toughest stories I’ve ever written was the Lizzie story and her passing.”

Ybarra was most affected by Lizzie’s message to other children battling cancer, “that she was praying for them every day.”

Ybarra said, “How selfless can you be?”

Highlights include the Bush funeral procession and covering the Rattlers winning the 2014 State Championship, but “sometimes you have to report on things you’d rather not” about the people in your community.

Change in perspective

Ybarra credits his professional growth to on-the-job training, classes available through the Texas Center for Community Journalism, and an unexpected source, his association with student interns.

Ybarra said, “By teaching them and showing them the ropes, it also increases my knowledge.”

His role in the newspaper profession has also altered how he processes what he hears because there is always more to a story.

Ybarra acknowledged that the Examiner and Granite want to be the first to report events in their community, a difficult task at times for a weekly newspaper, but not at the expense of its credibility.

He said, “A lot thrive on being first. I will never release speculation, only facts. Respecting the community we live in is giving them accurate news but realizing we have to look those same people in the eye.”

Balancing act

Ybarra’s wife, Lucy, is the Grimes County Elections Administrator so neither work traditional 8-5, Monday-Friday jobs. Their three daughters ages 8-14, if necessary, have accompanied Ybarra to events he is covering. When late night election work keeps Lucy at the office, communication is key when it comes to getting the girls to basketball or softball practice.

He said, “We owe a lot to our parents because my parents and her mom do a lot. They’re there for us knowing we have jobs with hours that can be demanding at times.”

Take a chance

Ybarra has advice for those who think their future is irreversibly determined by past choices.

He said, “Don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t do something. Don’t be afraid to take risks. Go out there and try to do it.”

This father, husband, coach, man of faith, and now staff writer encourages employers to give people a chance “because both Scott and Ana took a chance on me.”

He said, “If it wasn’t for them giving me a chance when I thought I didn’t deserve one, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Ybarra will celebrate four years as a fulltime Examiner employee in November and Publisher Ana Cosino remembers that pivotal moment in Examiner history with clarity.

Cosino said, “I remember it took a lot of conversations to convince him to come to work for me. I was a new publisher, so I told him we could figure this out together. I had faith that he could do this and he has proven it over the last three years.”

She continued, “I could not do what I do without Matt, and I am very thankful to him and to his family for allowing him to dedicate so much time to our newspaper.”