Get to Know Guadalupe
Guadalupe Veliz shifted from a successful corporate career to education, earning her master’s in educational leadership and PhD in educational leadership from UTSA. Now as an elementary school principal in San Antonio, she’s dedicated to strengthening connections between families and schools.
Making a Bold Career Move
At 46, Guadalupe made a dramatic move to leave behind a decade-long career in investment services and financial planning to pursue her passion for education. “It certainly doesn’t feel like a job,” Guadalupe said, noting she finds deep fulfillment in her new profession.
Pursuing Education with a Purpose
Guadalupe first earned a master’s degree in educational leadership from UTSA then pursued a doctorate in the same area. Her dissertation focused on how immigrant parents receive information about school programs and the obstacles they face. As a daughter of immigrant parents herself, she said: “Being a voice for others who have had similar experiences to mine, that’s a privilege that I couldn’t have asked for.”
Researching Ways to Help Families
Guadalupe’s research sheds light on the challenges immigrant parents face in the Texas school system, especially around language and employment issues. Her study found that these parents frequently depend on social networks rather than direct school communication. “What I took away from my study was really their agentic power and that agency that they demonstrated in spite of the reality of their situation,” she said.
Building Relationships at UTSA
Guadalupe credits much of her success to the mentorship and support she received from UTSA’s diverse faculty in The College of Education and Human Development (COEHD). Their shared experiences and understanding of immigrant families’ challenges gave her valuable insights. “I found professors who shared similar stories, who have immigrant backgrounds, who were able to speak to the way that they understood our issues in education,” she reflected. Now, Guadalupe is ready to improve educational practices in the community and make a profound impact in the lives of students and their families.
“It takes so much mentorship for something like this to come to fruition that I think that has been the most meaningful part for me at UTSA — the professors.”