Hi! I am Maria Solano-Salas, a McLennan Community College and UTA (Waco) graduate. MCC played a very important role in my educational and personal growth. As a first-generation Latina college student, my advisors and professors ensured that I had access to the support services and resources I needed to thrive. I identified as a non-traditional college student, and the flexibility offered by college allowed me to work full-time and obtain my undergraduate degree. Gracias MCC Family, because of your guidance, affordability, and support I was able to reach my professional goals (Adjunct Faculty at Baylor University and Program Manager III for Centene Corporation). McLennan Community College is My College of Choice!
Dr. Zaragosa “Mito” Diaz-Espinoza is a Waco native and a graduate of University High School. As a first-generation college student, Mito earned a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University, a master’s degree from Baylor University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Dr. Diaz-Espinoza’s dissertation, titled I’m Here for a Reason: The Motivations of First-Generation Latino Males to Pursue Higher Education, examined why Latinos pursue college degrees. Dr. Diaz-Espinoza overcame various obstacles growing up, including a time experiencing homelessness. Mito spent 22 years in a career in higher education and currently serves as the Director of Equity Initiatives for Waco Family Medicine. Mito is active in various community organizations, serving on the board of directors of the Hispanic Leaders’ Network, the Animal Birth Control Clinic, the Dr Pepper Museum, and the Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity Inc. Foundation. Dr. Diaz-Espinoza speaks to students and communities about his journey, succeeding in college, and equity initiatives.
Priscilla is a Waco native and graduate of Baylor University and Tarleton State University. Currently, Priscilla is a Bilingual Licensed Master Social Worker with a background in Child Protective Services. Priscilla also serves as the Senior Coordinator for Education & Training for the Department of Multicultural Affairs at Baylor University. For ten years, Priscilla has served in the Junior League of Waco, which is an organization that plugs women into the community and provides women with an opportunity to develop as a leader. Priscilla strives to work with other leaders throughout the community to education, empower and advocate for members in the community. Priscilla’s goal has been to strengthen underrepresented voices and voices of the under-resourced by bringing diversity and having the opportunity to “communicate community.” Priscilla accomplishes just that by educating community members about amazing projects and resources that are available. Priscilla is also an alum of The LeadershipPLENTY Institute of Waco, a member of the Hispanic Leaders’ Network, which strive to build leaders in the community, and services on the board of Foster Village Waco and Caritas of Waco. Priscilla’s greatest memory was serving as a Mayor of the City of Beverly Hills.
Alma Canales is originally from Pharr, Texas, but has called Waco home for the past 47 years. Alma was the first Latina to run for Lieutenant Governor in the State of Texas in 1972 under the Raza Unida Party. She traveled with her parents as migrant farm workers, picking crops from Texas to Wisconsin. Eventually, Alma organized the children of other farm workers and engaged them in various learning activities. Through these interactions, she learned the stories and histories of the families, which expanded her worldview. Her interest in the stories of others grew into a love of journalism. As a high school student, she began writing for her local paper and continued after she graduated. Through various interviews and stories, Alma became connected to the Chicano movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. She used her journalism skills to communicate campaign messages and convey the needs of people from various communities. As the Raza Unida Party put together candidates to run for local and state offices, Ms. Canales made her way onto the ticket as the Lieutenant Governor candidate. Alma continued her activism through community organizing and working for various organizations that advocated for Latinos, children, and women. Her commitment to civic engagement and voting continues to this day, as she still serves as a local election judge in Waco.
I was born and raised in Temple, TX. I only knew about small town life growing up. I attended Belton schools despite living in Temple city limits. I graduated from Belton High School in 2015 and went on to attend Houston Baptist University for my freshman year of college. Living in Houston was a wonderful but stressful experience. I experienced more of my Hispanic culture there than I did in Temple. However, I still experienced the same things. Most of my friends were able to speak Spanish fluently, while I struggled. I would be made fun of because I speak Spanish a little funny. Growing up, this type of treatment would discourage me from fully learning the Spanish language. I would only speak Spanish with my grandparents because they only spoke Spanish, and it would force me to communicate in Spanish only. They taught me more than my parents, who only spoke English with me. Now, I take every opportunity I can to speak in Spanish to practice, regardless of how it sounds. Today, I am able to understand Spanish and read some of it, and I am no longer ashamed of how I speak. During my time in Houston, I ate food from other Latin American countries and learned that my family is more American than Mexican. It saddens me that my family hates cilantro, eloteros, mangoladas, etc., which confuses me, because they are delicious. When I would visit, I would ask to go get these treats and my grandmother responded with “We don’t eat that here. This isn’t Mexico.” I wondered why she would respond with that. After a year in Houston, I came back home and attended the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. During this time, I took every opportunity to research more about my culture. I gave presentations on how the Spanish language is not the same in every country! It was an amazing presentation I gave for my Latin America class. I also researched and wrote papers on how the genetic makeup of Mexico and most of Latin America is mestizo, which means “mixed blood.” In other words, many of our ancestors were mixed with Native American, European, or African blood. The Spanish became so obsessed with race that they developed a caste system, which is why Mexico and much of Latin America are mestizo and do not have a true race to identify with. Hispanic or Latino is best described for us because our blood has been mixed over generations and it has gone mostly undocumented. In 2020, I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in history and with a teacher certification to teach 7th – 12th grades. I unfortunately never got the opportunity to teach history. I taught middle school English for three years instead! I ended up falling in love with English and how I can teach my students to read with purpose by annotating. Not to mention how to prove their answers with text evidence! I have been blessed to be able to attend MCC for my paralegal studies and graduated last May thanks to my amazing husband for supporting me through it. We got married on June 15, 2023, but we have been soulmates since the moment we met in high school. I currently work as a legal intern at Sheehy, Lovelace, and Mayfield P.C. and now as a part-time Integrated Reading and Writing Instructor! I am truly blessed and proud of all my achievements!
Hello, my name is John Ghazzagh, and I grew up in a unique and non-traditional Hispanic household. My grandparents, who lived through a time when racial discrimination against Hispanics was widespread, raised their family with a focus on blending into American culture. For me, this meant growing up in a household where only the older adults spoke Spanish, and our family meals were a mix of homemade tortillas, beans, salsa, and spaghetti with meatballs—a true reflection of America’s melting pot. Culturally, I often found myself unsure of where I fit in, but over time, I came to embrace the diversity of my background. A significant part of my inspiration to enter the field of education comes from "mi familia." I’ve spent over 16 years in education, driven by the belief that it's so important for everyone—especially the Latin community—to seek education and make meaningful contributions to the world around us. Thanks to the unwavering support of my determined mother, I became the first in my family to pursue higher education. She was a strong-willed Hispanic woman, who did everything she could as a single mother to make sure I was successful. She helped me secure scholarships that allowed me to earn both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Instructional Design. Today, I’m fortunate to have a career I’m passionate about, where I work to make a positive impact on both students and the community. As I continue to embrace my Latin heritage, I’ve discovered fascinating aspects of my ancestry, including the fact that my great-great-grandfather rode with the legendary Mexican general Pancho Villa. I now hope that my mixed-race daughter will embrace her own rich, varied background just as I have, and I’m committed to showing her how to take pride in both sides of her heritage. If you, like me, feel like you’re navigating the blend of two cultures, I encourage you to embrace it. It’s an incredible opportunity to understand, celebrate, and take pride in the rich diversity that shapes who you are.
¡Hola! My name is Alice Cash-Perez and I am a McLennan Community College graduate. I am the first of all my siblings to graduate from college and I am very proud to be an example to them and others. I currently work at Waco Center for Youth, which is where I was inspired by one of my professors to become a social worker. MCC has allowed me to pursue my dream of become a therapist due to their flexibility in online courses and the support my advisors have given me throughout these years. Thank you, MCC, for allowing me to go to an affordable college and for never giving up on me.
My name is Mara Zamora, and for the last six years, I have been a resource instructional assistant at Hewitt Elementary. I was born in Sombrerete, Zacatecas, Mexico. My parents left our hometown and moved to the United States of America searching for a better way of life and better opportunities for m two brothers and me. I graduated from Groesbeck High School in 2002, and attended MCC that fall. Through hard work and dedication, I was able to receive my Associates degree in Education, General Health and Physical Education. I am now working on my bachelors degree in Educational Studies through Grand Canyon University. My goal is to become a Bilingual educator and service ELL students, like I once was, so they can develop proficiency in multiple languages and achieve better academic outcomes and also help students overall to develop an appreciation for other cultures.
Hola amigos! My name is Paulina Sidwell, née Zúniga Elizondo. I was born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico, where most of my family still lives. My parents are Tere and Rodolfo, and I have two younger brothers, Rodolfo Jr. and Rodrigo. Growing up in Mexico, I had a magical childhood surrounded by grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and many friends. At about 7 years old, I started playing tennis, and I never stopped! I was encouraged by my maternal grandfather, who was a tennis player himself. I started competing at about 9 years old, and soon, tennis became a huge part of my life. I never planned to move to the United States, but I was offered a full ride to play Division I tennis at New Mexico State University. It was still a tough decision since I didn't want to leave home, but I knew this was too good to pass up. So, I played tennis for the NMSU Aggies for four years while completing my degree in Industrial Engineering. Toward the end of my time in college, I met my husband Ben, so I decided to stay a little longer and pursue my Master's in Industrial Engineering at New Mexico State while working as a Teaching Assistant. We got married soon after I finished my Master's degree and moved to Waco, where Ben had found a job working for SpaceX. I had never heard of Waco before! We were fortunate to make friends and quickly build a community here amongst the SpaceX families. It was at that point that I met April Andreas, who told me about an opportunity at MCC teaching engineering. I hadn't considered teaching full-time before. I had been a TA in grad school, but I assumed I would get an engineering job after graduation. What started as a one-year adjunct job quickly became a full-time tenure-track engineering professor job as I discovered that this was my true calling. I am now tenured and in my 13th year of teaching! In the years since I started working at MCC, Ben and I welcomed our son Lucas (7) and our daughter Nina (2) through adoption. While my husband and kids are not Hispanic, they understand how important my Mexican roots are to me, and they embrace this as part of our family's identity. We visit my family in Mexico often, and I love watching them as they note the cultural differences and traditions they see there compared to here. I miss Monterrey and my family every day, but I am grateful that Waco has a robust Hispanic presence and that I have made many friends from Mexico and other parts of Latin America here. When I visit home, I bring my Hispanic friends in Waco Mexican goodies like tamarind candy, dulces de leche, and carne seca, and they do the same for me!
