By Pablo Villa, El Paso Matters TORNILLO — When Mia Cordova stepped to the podium on graduation night, she did more than accept her diploma as valedictorian. She made a quiet point to her older brother. Cordova described her brother, a current freshman computer science major at the University of Texas at El Paso, as part of the inspiration that helped spur her academic success. But his arrival in college wasn’t preceded by the distinction of having the highest GPA in his high school class. So, Mia Cordova’s message to him was simple.

“I did something you couldn’t,” she said with a smile — a nod to their lifelong academic competition, one that’s propelled them both to push harder, aim higher. The sibling rivalry — steeped in academics, sports and pride — has shaped her journey through Torn

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