SAN ANTONIO – The latest episode of Pickup Lines features Bexar County’s 45th District Judge Mary Lou Alvarez.
Born in Karnes City and raised in small Texas towns, her family moved to San Antonio in 1980 when her father took a job at Kelly Air Force Base.
A graduate of Incarnate Word High School, she once dreamed of becoming a lawyer.
“I wanted to be an attorney,” she said. “And I’ve been wanting to be an attorney for as long as I can remember.”
Alvarez pursued an engineering degree at Stanford University, choosing a practical path that would allow her to work immediately after graduation. After two years in the workforce, she enrolled in law school at Seton Hall in New Jersey.
During her second year of law school, she was driving to campus on Sept. 11, 2001, when radio DJs first reported that a plane had hit the World Trade Center.
At first, it sounded like a tragic accident. Within minutes, it became clear it was something far worse.
“We were right across the river,” she recalled. “A friend of mine and I went outside and just watched — essentially — the building collapse.”
Even as she built her career out of state, Alvarez always knew where she belonged.
“It was always my plan to come home. I just didn’t know when,” she said. “But I love San Antonio. It’s the best place that I know to raise my kids and to be close to my parents.”
Today, she lives across the street from them, surrounded by family support while raising her daughter, Mari, and her son, Javi.
“I wanted to be a mother more than I wanted to be a spouse,” she said.
She describes motherhood as her greatest joy.
“I am so happy being a mom,” she said. “They are hilarious and they’re joyful — 99% of the time.”
As a single mother, she works hard to keep her demanding career separate from home life. “I try really hard to make sure that work stays at work and that I have time and space and energy to devote to my children because I’m their only parent.”
Watch the full Pickup Lines with Judge Mary Lou Alvarez in the video player above.
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Ernie Zuniga started Pickup Lines, a digital talk show, straight from his vehicle. The segments feature a diverse range of guests, including executives, small business owners, and everyday individuals, as they share personal journeys, news, and stories.