From the Desk of the Editor: Higher Education and American Experiences

LYDIA CDEBACA

Lydia CdeBaca is committed to improving educational outcomes for underserved students and has a deep and abiding passion for community-based education initiatives, particularly those serving adult learners. CdeBaca received her M.A. and Ph.D. in English with graduate certificates in Mexican American Studies and Native American/Indigenous Studies at the University of Texas at Austin and her Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Texas at Arlington. CdeBaca currently serves as the Director of the Teaching and Learning for Student Success Peer Mentoring Program for Catch the Next, Inc., a college readiness and completion organization based in Austin, Texas. Prior to joining Catch the Next, CdeBaca served as Associate Chair of the English Department, Program Coordinator for Humanities/Interdisciplinary Cultural Studies, and Director of the Mexican American/Latino Studies Program at Houston Community College. CdeBaca maintains her teaching profile by continuing to teach in the CTN program at Austin Community College.

Creating the Walkway to Higher Education: A Review of Bridging the High School-College Gap

MARIA ESPINO

Maria Luz Espino, M.A. is a doctoral student in the Higher Education Administration program at Iowa State University. She holds a Masters degree in Educational Policy and Leadership from Marquette University and a Bachelors degree in Community and Nonprofit Leadership with an additional major in Gender and Women Studies from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. She investigates issues of college access and retention of first-generation, low-income students. Her primary focus aims at understanding experiences at community colleges and four-year institutions through the college students' intersections of gender, race, and sexuality.

Song for America: XXXIV

An American Ride

El Palacio de Bellas Artes / The Palace of Fine Arts

and

Mother was a Dangerous Woman

FERNANDO ESTEBAN FLORES

Fernando Esteban Flores is a native son of Tejas, graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts in English and has taught writing at various San Antonio secondary schools.

He was selected as Teacher of the Year three times (twice at SSAIS D, Dwight Middle School-1992/2002 and Robert C. Zamora Middle School-2008, SSAISD) and South San Antonio Independent School District’s Teacher of the Year for 2008.  He was also a candidate for Trinity University’s Prize for Excellency in Teaching 2008.   In addition, he received 2 ExCEL awards for excellence in teaching from KENS 5-TV. 

Fernando is the founder of a group of eclectic seasoned and emerging poets, Voces Cósmicas who have been promoting poetry, art, and music at different venues throughout San Antonio since 2012.

His work has appeared in:  the San Antonio Express-News, the Houston Chronicle, the Houston Poetry Fest, Voices de la Luna, The Americas Review, The Texas Observer, The Thing Itself Journal (Our Lady of the Lake University), rogueagent journal (issue 25), Written with a Spoon: a Poet’s Cookbook, Is This Forever or What?, Lost Children of the River, Bad Hombres and Nasty Women, Poets Facing the Wall (The Raving Press), Endlessly Rocking:  Poems in Honor of Walt Whitman’s 200^th Birthday (anthology), Stan Galloway and Nicole Yurcaba, Editors ©2019 Unbound Content, Englewood, NJ., www.writersoftheriogrande.com

His poem Ash Wednesday was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in poetry by the Maverick Press.

His three books of poetry:  Ragged Borders, Red Accordion Blues & BloodSongs are available from Hijo del Sol Publishing and were recently archived at the Ozuna Learning Center & Library at Palo Alto College as well as the San Antonio Public Library’s new Latino Collection.

Fernando recently received an ELLA Award (Exceptional Library Leaders and Advocates) from the San Antonio Public Library system June 2108 for his work in promoting and advocating poetry and the arts.

In 2918-19, the Department of Arts & Culture of the City of San Antonio, with support from Gemini Ink selected Fernando’s poem Song for America V (Yo Soy San Antonio) as one of 30 poem/poets to commemorate the City’s Tricentennial anniversary.