Women Making A Mark
St. 爱德华大学是一个蓬勃发展的社区，正在履行其培养杰出领导者的伟大使命, 他们是提高所有人生活质量的革新者和正义思想家. From breaking down barriers to inspiring the next generation, 四位山顶人分享了他们如何在我们的社区内外帮助产生积极影响的故事.
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Ella Ochoa ’23 她是一名大四的第一代拉丁裔学生，在圣. 爱德华的 University. 她的学生代表在山顶的历史机遇中发挥了重要作用, including the recent adoption of a resolution commemorating February 9, 2023年. 爱德华的 University Day at the 德州 State Capitol. 她说:“在个人成长方面，我作为总裁的角色起到了催化作用。. “My experience has prepared me for life outside of the hilltop, 因为我学会了让自己接触陌生事物的价值.”
Overcoming Obstacles
As the first person in her family to attend college, 要离开母亲和妹妹，奥乔亚自然感到紧张，甚至内疚. “It has always just been the three of us, so they’re like my best friends. I felt a bit selfish for leaving them behind, but they never made me feel like I was making the wrong decision,” Ochoa commented. “They were really proud of me and wanted me to go out and take on my world!”
我的使命
奥乔亚的妹妹患有残疾，她受到妹妹的启发，决定寻求一个为残疾儿童争取权利的职业机会. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ochoa returned home to McAllen, 德州 to continue her studies online on a temporary basis. During this time, 她注意到，由于缺乏面对面的治疗，她的妹妹正在退化. “She couldn't socialize as much. She couldn't really understand what was going on. 所以，我很难亲眼看到我妹妹是如何受到影响的，”她说. “我可以看到自己在做一些创业和造福残疾儿童的事情.”
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Brandie Medina ’22 是加尔维斯顿县高岛独立学区的早期大学高中主任吗, 德州. 她在山顶上创造了历史，成为第一位从圣霍普金斯大学(St . hill university)领导与高等教育教育新博士学位毕业的黑人女性. 爱德华的 University.
While Medina’s achievement is a milestone for her and our university, 她希望看到有色人种在高等教育中获得更多的机会. “需要某种形式的改变或鼓励，让更多的有色人种或不同社区的少数民族能够打破这些障碍. They shouldn't have to take this long to make it happen.”
Overcoming Obstacles
麦地那获得博士学位的道路并非一帆风顺. 她参加了这个项目，当时她住在一个为寻求从虐待关系中获得安全的妇女提供的庇护所. 作为四个孩子的母亲，她本可以放弃，但她找到了继续前进的力量. “当我告诉你有很多充满挑战的时刻——尤其是没有地方住——这很可怕. But through it all, literally a couple of weeks later, I graduated.”
我的使命
Coming from a family with parents — both St. 爱德华的 University graduates — who value a college degree, 麦地那愿意继续引导学生走上高等教育的道路. She is expected to complete her principal certification in May 2023, 哪一个能给你带来成为校长和督学的机会, but her aspirations don’t end there! “最终，我想在华盛顿特区的教育部工作.C. I think education as a whole has a lot of reform that needs to happen.”
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Liz Johnson ’20 is the Director of External Affairs for St. 爱德华大学-领导我们努力扩大与独特组织的外部关系，使山顶受益. 她还在发展与各种领导人和公众人物的合作方面发挥着至关重要的作用. “My role consists of acting as a liaison connecting St. Ed’s to the greater community — community groups, nonprofits and sometimes even local or state or federal officials.”
Overcoming Obstacles
Prior to joining St. 爱德华·约翰逊曾在医疗保健领域工作，在圣. Louis, Missouri and in 德州. 这些角色为她提供了与各种公众人物合作的机会, but the feeling of joy soon dissolved. “我和很多社区成员和民选官员一起工作，真的很享受! Then I kind of got burnt out and left without a job.”
经过六个月的休息，约翰逊准备好了她的下一个职业变动. 她参加了奥斯汀的一个社区活动，在那里她了解到St. 爱德华的 University — an opportunity that would change her life. “I was educated by an institution very similar to St. Ed's, so I understood the mission and the approach of this education model. It was just a really good fit for me and I think for the institution too!”
我的使命
As Austin continues to grow and attract prospective college students, 约翰逊正在利用她的角色为“山顶族”创造更多的学习机会，这些机会将帮助学生为就业做好准备. “It can be class projects, it can be internships. 去年秋天我有一门课，我让学生们对非营利组织的倡导者进行信息采访——这些是你进入专业领域所需要采取的第一步. 我们正在把我们在课堂上学到的东西应用到我们生活和工作的社区.”
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Monique Jiménez-Herrera 是圣何塞大学首位负责教师多样性、公平和包容的副校长. 爱德华的 University. Jiménez-Herrera, a licensed clinical psychologist from Puerto Rico, leads the hilltop’s efforts to create a diverse, anti-racist and inclusive environment for faculty and staff. “I've been in higher ed for more than 20 years now. I've always chosen institutions that serve marginalized communities, 无论是为西班牙裔服务的机构，还是以某种方式关注社会正义的机构,她说。. “So when I saw that this institution had a position available, it was another way for me to have an impact and create change.”
我的使命
jimsamnez - herrera正在继续进行大学的努力，使我们的校园成为一个温馨的环境，不仅对教职员工, but students as well. “Our social identities intersect. 我们有机会让学生找到他们想要的空间. 我想让他们知道我们关心他们，我们在这里支持他们的旅程——我们将带着同情和同情去做.”