Candidate Biography

Karina Quilantan began her teaching career with Edcouch-Elsa Independent School District and taught 6th grade Science, 8th grade English Language Arts, and sat on numerous campus committees. She then accepted a teaching opportunity at Vanguard Academy in Alamo, Texas where she taught 5th, 6th, and 7th grade English Language Arts.

As she pursued her love of teaching, Karina continued her education at Sam Houston State University and graduated in 2014 with a Masters in Library Science with a 4.0 GPA. Since 2015, she has worked diligently as a library media specialist with the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District at Jaime Escalante Middle School. Her library has been recognized locally, statewide, and nationally for its media virtual presence and has gained media attention for her student-led technology projects. During her time at Escalante Middle School, Karina has participated in numerous conferences as a keynote speaker, presenter, and committee member. Her passion for professional development has piqued the interest of numerous technology companies and she now serves as a certified educator and ambassador for multiple educational technology platforms. In addition to her many credentials, Karina became the first library media specialist working in a Region One school setting to obtain her Google for Education Trainer certification and Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert/Master Trainer credentials. In the Spring of 2021, Karina was awarded the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) Library Media Specialist of the Year Finalist Award. In April of 2022, she was awarded the Texas Library Association Librarian of the Year Award.

Working as a library media specialist has motivated her to earn various digital credentials that complement her skill set. Karina's passion for research, instructional design, technology, and multi-literacy has led her to explore and identify areas of need in librarianship and technology. The high demand for evidence-based technology methods has inspired her to return to school to pursue a doctoral degree in Education with a concentration in Instructional Systems Design and Technology (ISDT) at Sam Houston State University. She leverages her newfound knowledge and skills to prepare needs analyses and instructional training for private and public organizations seeking to leverage technology and training systems.

This dossier is a compilation of work that highlights Karina's various projects and experiences. For more information regarding her work in libraries and technology integration, please contact her via email at kcc020@shsu.edu or on social media (Instagram & Twitter) @cuethelibrarian.