Engaging, equipping, and empowering Deaf students in higher education.

Professional background

My path into higher education began when a job I had held for 20 years ended during the COVID-19 pandemic. I returned to San Antonio College (SAC) to learn American Sign Language (ASL) and began working through Earn On, a grant-funded student employment program. I later became an academic coach in SAC’s Academic Success Center. Through the Early Alert initiative, I contacted students who might benefit from tutoring and taught workshops on time management, test-taking, and study strategies. Those conversations taught me that each student’s journey is different and that a setback does not define a person’s potential.

Today I am an Advising Team Support Specialist and front desk supervisor at SAC. I help students work through enrollment obstacles and connect with the people and resources they need. I also supervise a large team of work-study students. For me, supervision means investing in their professional development and preparing them for opportunities beyond their current jobs.

I earned a B.A. in Bible from LIFE Bible College (now Life Pacific University) in 1999. I later completed coursework toward an M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy at St. Mary’s University, though I did not complete the practicum required for the degree. In December 2025, I earned SAC’s ASL Level 1 Communicator certificate. I am now pursuing an M.Ed. in Higher Education and Student Affairs through the UT San Antonio/Alamo Colleges District Cohort 6.

Since beginning ASL study in 2020, I have attended Deaf community events and built friendships in the San Antonio Deaf Community. These experiences have deepened my interest in the conditions that shape educational opportunity and in the supports that help Deaf students persist. People matter, and their stories matter. I want my practice to support students as they make changes in their own lives.

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