Mona Aldana-Ramirez has been in education for 24 years. She served as the Director of Student Success for Diversity, Equity and Inclusive Excellence at San Antonio College. In this role, she led the college’s equity plan to develop an equity mindset throughout the institution.
She began her education career teaching science through K-12 and higher education. She provided professional development to educators throughout the United States as a NASA Aerospace Education Specialist. As a specialist working with a team of educators, she helped integrate NASA’s Science education curriculum into school districts and promote STEM careers to students of color throughout the United States. .
During her 17 years at SAC, she developed programs and spearheaded initiatives that increased student success at one of the largest single-campus community colleges in Texas. These programs and initiatives include San Antonio College Men Empowerment Network (SACMEN), TheDream.US Scholarship Program, Honors Academy, Student Success Community Partnerships, Ascender Program, Student Ambassadors, Foundations of Excellence and a Texas Teacher Certification Program.
She serves the college as a member of various committees, such as College Council, Graduation Ceremony Committee, SAC Fiesta Brunch Committee, and currently chairs the Equity Committee. Previous committee work includes College Program Review, Welcome Days Committee, Quality Enhancement Plan, Raza Heritage Month and various hiring committees. She has also written and overseen several grants.
She has garnered numerous awards involving service, speaking and leadership and served as a fellow for the National Community College Hispanic Council (NCCHC). She mentored an emerging leader in the NCCHC Fellows program and volunteered as a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters. Colleagues have recognized her with a Superhero Award and she received the 2018 Outstanding Male Student Program Award in Texas (SACMEN) by theTexas Education Consortium for Male Students of Color (TECMSC). In 2020, she received the Community College Service Award by the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE). Most recently, she was selected as a 2021 Leadership Fellow by Catch the Next.
She serves on citywide committees to improve outcomes for local youth. She has been a member of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE), Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education (TACHE), Texas Education Consortium for Male Students of Color (TECMSC), and the National Minority Male Community College Collaborative (M2C3).
She earned an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts from San Antonio College, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from St. Mary’s University (San Antonio, TX), and a Master’s degree in Natural and Applied Sciences from Oklahoma State University.
She has been married for twenty-eight years and has two children with whom she enjoys cooking, traveling and zip lines. She also enjoys hiking, reading and mastering local escape rooms.