UTSA educational leadership students pursue national fellowships

FEBRUARY 7, 2025 — Four doctoral students in the UTSA Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (ELPS) were awarded highly competitive national fellowships. In addition to highlighting the exceptional caliber of the university’s ELPS students, these opportunities speak to the rigor and quality of the program.

ELPS has a history of supporting students who want to pursue national fellowships. Faculty members work closely with students on their applications, providing guidance and feedback to ensure their materials are as competitive as possible.

ELPS PhD students Monica Hernandez and Monika Cantu were selected as two of four recipients across the state for the 2025 Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education (TACHE) graduate fellowship. TACHE is dedicated to the improvement and advancement of education and employment opportunities for Latinos, Hispanics and Chicanos in higher education. The TACHE fellowship provides students with a $2,000 stipend and attendance to next month’s TACHE conference.

“The opportunity to engage and network with other students and faculty members in Texas and learn about the great work they are doing at their institutions is invaluable.”

Monica Hernandez

Hernandez’s goal is to become a tenure-track professor, and the TACHE fellowship will provide her with the opportunities to transition into an academic career. Through her research and professional experience, Hernandez has actively embraced TACHE’s mission and is committed to shaping Texas’ workforce to support the economic mobility of Latino students.

“The opportunity to engage and network with other students and faculty members in Texas and learn about the great work they are doing at their institutions is invaluable,” Hernandez said.

The TACHE fellowship will allow Cantu to advocate for others.

“My goal is to drive change locally in universities, expand efforts to community colleges and eventually create a national impact that influences federal policy,” said Cantu of her fellowships. “By collaborating with others, I hope to deepen my understanding and contribute to the educational advancements of Latinos in Texas.”

Monika Cantu

Cantu was also selected for two additional professional development opportunities. She joined the inaugural cohort of The Institute for College Access and Success (TICAS) Higher Education Policy Fellowship program, an opportunity that runs concurrent with her TACHE fellowship. TICAS provides graduate students and professionals in higher education with the opportunity to gain foundational knowledge and insights into federal education policy and learn through real-world experiences in policy analysis, development and implementation. Cantu will work with federal policy makers in Washington, D.C. to study issues related to college affordability and financial aid, particularly for Hispanic Serving Institutions like UTSA, where at least 25% of an institution’s undergraduate student population identifies as Hispanic.

At the same time, Cantu and fellow ELPS doctoral student Zobaria Zulfiqar were nationally selected as Barbara Jackson Scholars through the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA). This national two-year program is designed to prepare students of color for future faculty positions in the field of educational leadership.

Zobaria Zulfiqar

Jackson Scholars attend the UCEA annual convention where networking opportunities are plentiful, and second-year scholars are required to present their dissertation, creating a forum for feedback and to gauge interest from fellow scholars and their mentor. Additionally, UCEA offers Jackson Scholars the opportunity to attend the American Educational Research Association (AERA) annual meeting.

Zulfiqar attended the UCEA conference as a first-year scholar to gain a clearer perspective on her research interests.

“I got the opportunity to meet with other scholars with similar research interests like mine and my mentor,” she said. “They provided me with resources that I can use to advance my research and career.”

With the knowledge and experiences Zulfiqar gained as a Barbara Jackson Scholar, she will work to remove barriers for women and empower them to reach their full potential.

“I have a goal to open a higher secondary school in my hometown, Malhu khokhar, Pakistan, because there is not one established at the moment. We call it ‘college’, but it is the equivalent of high school in the U.S. so women can get access to education,” said Zulfiqar.

Shae Large

Over the summer, Large and her team focused on analyzing data collected from the Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) survey. During the two-month virtual fellowship, she examined the experiences of LGBTQ international students across three universities. Large explained that it’s been challenging to find quantitative courses within the ELPS department. She believes the experience will make her a more marketable graduate.

“Shae’s fellowship is a testament to the breadth of training our students receive,” said Vanessa A. Sansone, associate professor in the UTSA Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. “While we are known for our qualitative expertise, we are actively working to ensure our students are equally prepared in quantitative methods, making them highly competitive for prestigious opportunities like this.”

The collaborative and supportive experience of QTPiE reinforced the importance of teamwork and mentorship in academia, skills that Large plans to carry forward. The fellowship provided opportunities for Large to write a research paper, contribute to a book chapter and submit a conference proposal.

“This fellowship and research are great CV boosters as I work toward my goal of becoming a professor and researcher focused on trans issues,” Large said.

Sansone added, “These fellowships not only highlight the achievements of our exceptional students but also demonstrate the rigor and quality of our ELPS program. We are preparing the next generation of leaders in education policy and administration, and these accolades are a testament to the depth of their training and the caliber of our faculty.”

— Katelyn Juarez