Biography

Dr. Maria L. Mendez education includes a Doctorate of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley, completed in May 2018. A Masters of Educational Administration was completed at Texas A & M Kingsville in December 2008. Dr. Mendez’s undergraduate work was completed at the University Of Texas at San Antonio in May 1998. In addition, professional experiences range from a Bilingual and ESL Specialist kinder through twelve grade for four years, an Instructional Support Teacher for ten years, and an elementary bilingual teacher for five years with a total of nineteen years of service to education. Dr. Mendez has received scholarly awards as she was in the National Honor Society in her graduate and post-graduate studies. She was also a recipient of the Teacher of the Year 2005 and the New Teacher of the Year 1999 awards. Dr. Mendez’s has presented scholarly presentations at the Title III Symposium 2014 in Austin Texas, TexTESOL2014 in San Antonio, Texas, and National TESOL 2015 in Portland, Oregon.

In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, I believe that education is the most powerful weapon in which one may change the world. It is through the power of knowledge that one may advocate and provide a voice for the underserved and underprivileged.