First-Gen Faculty | Staff

I was introduced to the field of public health during high school when I completed a summer internship with the UTHealth School of Public Health Brownsville Regional Campus under Dr. Belinda Reininger, who is currently dean of the School. I was born in El Paso, but raised in Brownsville. My goal has always been to become a public health professional and give back to my community through the training I received. I credit my success to the support of my parents and mentors. While my parents did not attend college, they wanted that experience for me and did all they could to make that dream a reality.

My first two years in undergrad I struggled with getting advice on how to pay for college, what courses to take, what experiences to take advantage of in college, and what factors to consider when choosing a graduate degree program. It was during my third year in my undergrad that I met my first mentor, Dr. Jeff Levin, who provided career advice, mentored my undergraduate thesis project, and helped me select both my Master's of Public Health program and PhD program.

During my MPH experience, I again was introduced to a wonderful mentor, Dr. Renee Umstattd Meyer, who really taught me what it meant to be a public health researcher. My PhD brought me back to my high school mentor and I was able to receive guidance on my dissertation, experience in grant writing, and help in navigating the academic job market from Dr. Reininger. My parents do not really understand my field, but they are excited to hear about my passions and offer advice as they can.

My biggest advice to first-generation college students is to seek advice and to not be ashamed of not always knowing what to do. We bring a unique perspective to our fields and have the ability to foster future professionals of our discipline in a way that others might not be able to do. Lastly, don't underestimate your parent's or family members' ability to provide advice for your academic pursuits. Although they might not have gone through those experiences themselves, they are able to offer worldly advice that is transferrable to any job market.

My father proudly served in the United States Air Force for 25 years and survived two tours in Vietnam. Upon completion of his military service, my father worked on the flight line of our local airport servicing ground equipment until retirement. My mother held things together during war and peace time as best as she could and was/is the rock and backbone of our family. My parents always stressed the importance of education and doing well in grade school, but continuing after high school was always an afterthought.

My father finished high school and after the war he completed trade school earning an air conditioning certificate. My mother dropped out of high school at the age of 16 to give birth to her first child (my sister) and eventually earned her GED. Who could blame my parents for their view of baccalaureate degrees and beyond? They had no education legacy, and in fact they were cut from the cloth of poor hard-working immigrants. All they knew was hard work and earning your keep by the sweat of your brow, and simply put there was little time, and so much to do.

Although they never truly stressed the importance of a college education, they always stated, “mijo (Spanish to English translation - my son) whatever you decide to do, do your best at it.” This saying has stuck with me even today. My journey was a little different from my siblings since I was the youngest. I had the best opportunity of all my siblings to attend college and earn degree. After high school I enrolled at the hometown University, which was a rude awakening. I had no idea what to expect, I had no precedent, and no blueprint. Fast forward six years later (2004), after five major changes, failures, and countless bumps in the road I earned my baccalaureate degree in Biology from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

I worked as a high school teacher in Laredo and concurrently enrolled part time in a master’s program (thesis track) at Texas A&M International University. As a master’s student I had the opportunity to work for the USDA-ARS on a project titled The Biological Control of Giant Reed, Arundo donax, along the riverbanks in Laredo, Webb County, TX. Giant Reed is a robust grass that has established large monotypic stands along the riparian corridor of the Rio Grande in South Texas.

The invasive nature of this plant currently presents a serious threat to biodiversity, water resources, and erosion. My component of the study was to evaluate the plant species transition (if any) after periodic selective removal of Giant Reed aboveground biomass. In addition to the transition study, the persistent soil seed bank was sampled and quantified to determine the potential for passive restoration of invaded areas. Dr. John Goolsby (research entomologist) was the director of the project; Dr. Alexis Racelis USDA-Ecologist served as my Co-Advisor along with Dr. Thomas Vaughan, TAMIU biologist. My master’s program got this small-town kid to present original scientific research at one regional and one national conference, as well as being the first and second author in a peer-reviewed publication.

Currently, I am in my seventh year as a full-time faculty (biology instructor) and teaching lab supervisor at Texas A&M International University. I’ve taught zoology, botany, upper-level special topics course, undergraduate research, various labs, and non-majors biology courses. In 2020 I also completed my doctoral studies at Texas Tech University, under the direction of Dr. Scott Longing, research entomologist. My doctoral journey has not been without hardship. During the second year of my course of study I lost my father to a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. This tragedy could have ended the pursuit of my doctoral studies, but instead became my motivation. I emerged from this determined to finish my program of study in his honor.

My dissertation focused on the impacts of invasive plant species on pollinator biodiversity along the narrow riparian corridor in Laredo (Webb County). As more land area is being taken over by exotic invasive plants, ecologically sensitive areas like the Rio Grande begin to lose their “natural identity.” Furthermore, as invasions spread, rare plants are at higher risk of being extirpated from these areas. In addition to evaluating the impact of invasive plant species, I am implementing various strategies for restoration of these invaded landscapes and evaluating the responses of pollinators as the result of active restoration.

In my community I am currently working closely with a non-profit organization, The Rio Grande International Study Center and Homeland Security to come up with a comprehensive plan to control invasive giant reed on a 16-acre island and revegetate with native plant species. We are formulating a plan through various ecological restoration techniques to find alternative methods rather than using harmful herbicides near the Rio Grande, which serves as our only drinking water source.

While completing my M.S. I applied and was approved for a research assistantship with Dr. Bradley Ray. His work at the time focused on criminal justice deferral programs, mental health, substance abuse, and crime. Without Dr. Ray and my partner, I would never have felt confident enough to pursue my Ph.D. in Criminal Justice at Indiana University. It was during this time at Indiana University that I found my passion for teaching and was afforded the opportunity to pursue my own research.

Now, I am here at Texas A&M International University as an expert on the intersection of mental health, crime, and serial homicide. My research primarily focuses on the experiences of individuals with serious mental illness who are involved in the criminal justice system to better understand what is most effective in reducing the recidivism rate for this population. I am very honored to have the opportunity to work at TAMIU where I am able to teach, mentor, and research with those who are also first-generation college students.

Of course, I felt lost and underprepared; however, I learned. Learned how to manage my time, learned how to study, learned how to navigate the world outside of my small town. I found that my small-town upbringing put me at a disadvantage in some classes, but I learned how to do additional research and speak to people who could help me fill in the gaps."

"I wanted to succeed for myself and for my parents. I am happy to say I graduated with honors in front of my entire extended family. After graduating, I worked for two years, and then I went back to school at the University of Texas El Paso and earned an MA in Sociology. A few years later, I moved to Laredo and began working at TAMIU. While working here, I earned an MA in English and a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from Texas A&M University College Station."

"With each degree, I learned something new about being a successful student and getting the most out of my educational opportunities. I encourage all students, especially first-generation students, to take advantage of all the resources TAMIU offers. You are not alone!

Since I was born and raised in Laredo, TX, I attended public schools in Laredo ISD. As a result, I am proud alumni of the first graduating class of Dr. Leo G. Cigarroa High School. I attended the University of Texas at Austin where I earned a B.A. in Government. Immediately after graduation in 1989, I returned to Laredo, TX, where I was hired as the Pro Bono Coordinator for the Laredo Legal Aid Office. At the same time, I attended Laredo State University (LSU).

During those fast-paced times early in my educational career, I secured a second grade teaching assignment with the LISD where I worked from 1989 to 1993. As soon as I completed my second year of teaching, I enrolled at LSU and completed a Master in Educational Administration in 1993. In fall of 1998, the United Independent School District (UISD) hired me. Since I really wanted to work in South Laredo, I had a 45-minute commute from my house to Rio Bravo where I worked as a pre-kindergarten teacher from August to November of 1998.

During the fall of 1998, I applied for an Assistant Principal position with UISD and I am grateful to UISD for granting me the opportunity of securing my first leadership position at Newman Elementary where I served as an Assistant Principal until 2003. In January 2003, I was named the Principal at Dr. S. Perez Elementary in South Laredo and I proudly served in a servant leadership capacity from 2003 until 2013.

In 2006, I decided to pursue a terminal degree in Educational Administration so applied at Texas A&M in College Station and was accepted. Looking back to those years as a full time principal and a Ph.D. student, I honestly do not know how I was able to juggle so many responsibilities. Thankfully, my husband is supportive and he would drive me to College Station for my Saturday classes every two weeks.

I started working at Texas A&M International University as an adjunct in the Spring of 2013. That same year I applied for a full time tenure track position in the College of Education and was hired an assistant professor in fall 2014. My primary research goal is to prepare educational leaders equipped with research-based culturally responsive leadership practices and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-based knowledge to lead in public school systems.

STEM education is important to me because there were approximately four million STEM jobs available in the United States in 2020. At TAMIU, I have experienced a process of formation and growth in understanding the importance of long-term collaborations between practitioners and researchers to investigate problems of practice and solutions for improving schools. Most importantly, I believe that STEM knowledgably instructional leaders will positively influence STEM education.

I believe in cross-disciplinary collaborations because I understand the importance of place-based education as tool for participatory parity. Foundationally, I believe that as an educational administration professor my responsibility is to pursue research inquiries that help me prepare pragmatic instructional leaders that understand the importance of leading schools that meet the educational and socio-cultural needs of diverse students, close achievement gaps, and make data-driven decisions to increase first generation Mexican American students’ college and career readiness.

With the help of the McNair Scholars Program, however, I conducted summer research at the University of Missouri St. Louis. This experience ultimately led to me earning my PhD in Criminology, Law & Society from the University of California-Irvine. My current position is Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice in the Department of Social Sciences at Texas A&M International University.

As a young girl, I struggled with learning the English language and my grades were not always the best in middle and high school. I always had dreams of being a college graduate but never in my mind could I see that dream coming a reality because of my challenges being a Mexican native.

With the many obstacles I faced, becoming a mother at the age of 21 and struggling with homework and the college demands, I never gave up and I now have a Bachelor's in Psychology (2013) and a Master's in Counseling Psychology (2016) with a License in Counseling Psychology and a License in Chemical Dependency.

Having only my mother who is a single mother and my grandmother's support, I am proud of every single one of my accomplishments. It took me 7 years to obtain a 4-year degree but thanks to my family's support and God's guidance, I made it!