About Me

Languages

English: Native Language, Advanced Speaker, Advanced Reading and Writing

Spanish: Native Language, Advanced Speaker, Intermediate Reading and Writing

Computer Skills

Programming: Audacity, Blender, Beholder Vision Photo Mesh, QGIS, Wix Web Designer, ArcGIS Online.

Applications: Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Express, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop, Canva, Past Perfect, Bidpal, Kahoot, ZOOM, Teams, POS systems, Givebutter, DonorPerfect, Instrumentl, Grant Station, MailChimp, Constant Contact, Google Suite. 

Social Media Platforms: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Substack.

NTHP PastForward Diversity Scholarship October 2024

Chosen for the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Diversity Scholarship program. 

https://savingplaces.org/diversity-scholarship

WHA Graduate Student Prize October 2024

Chosen for the WHA Graduate Student Prize. 

https://www.westernhistory.org/awards/Graduate-Prize

AASLH Douglas Evelyn Diversity Fellowship September 2024

Chosen for the Douglas Evelyn Diversity Fellowship and received complete conference registration and a travel stipend. The following blog post was submitted as part of the conference fellowship.

https://aaslh.org/conference-connections/

Latinx Museum Internship and Fellowship Program Summer and Fall 2024

Served on a Student Advisory Board of undergraduate and graduate students to provide input and feedback on all project activities. The program was funded by an Institute of Museum and Library Services grant received by the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

Lambda Alpha, National College Honors Society for Anthropology April 2024

Our chapter—the second in Texas—was founded in 1992 to recognize scholastic achievement in anthropology and promote scholarly activities related to anthropology for all students.

Community Engagement Fellowship, Latinos in Heritage Conservation Spring 2023

As a Spring 2023 Community Engagement Research Fellow with Latinos in Heritage Conservation, I developed an ArcGIS StoryMap, "Conjunto Creciendo," to document the history and impact of Texas Conjunto music.

UTRGV Community Engagement Award May 2022

The Museum of South Texas History was recognized at a luncheon hosted by the UTRGV Office of Community Engagement. The College of Liberal Arts chose the museum as an outstanding community partner.

Historias Americanas: Engaging History and Citizenship in the Rio Grande Valley, July 2021

• Coordinated museum staff, teachers, and partners to create, plan, and execute five teacher workshops using Summer Nights at the Museum activities and puppet shows to present TEKS based learning objectives.

• Historias Americanas: Engaging History and Citizenship in the Rio Grande Valley

Edinburg Chamber of Commerce Business of the Month June 2021

The Edinburg Chamber of Commerce recognized the Museum of South Texas History as the Business of the Month. A mixer was hosted at the museum on June 16, 2021.

• Business of the Month Mixer with Edinburg Chamber of Commerce

Betty Stieren-Kelso Grant 2020

Applied, received and managed this grant to produce the Traveling Through Time virtual tours at the Museum of South Texas History.

H-E-B Feeding Fiestas Grant 2020-2021

Grant monies used to support food-centric productions, including:

• “A History of Me: A Museum Activity Booklet,” the Holiday Heritage Family Food Kit, 

• https://mosthistory.org/fiestadenochebuena/

National Endowment of the Humanities Crossroads Americanas Grant 2019-2020

Served on the Grant Writing Team. Did not receive.

Rescuing Texas History Mini-Grant September 2014

The Museum of South Texas History received a digitization grant from the Portal to Texas History at the University of North Texas to digitize the Frank Lauderdale Cook scrapbook collection. https://texashistory.unt.edu/search/?fq=str_title_serial:Frank%20Lauderdale%20Cook%20Scrapbook&src=ark

Preservation Assistance Grant May 2014

Received a Preservation Assistance Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities at the Museum of South Texas History in partnership with the Border Studies Archive at the University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg, Texas.

Alliance for Texas History, 2024 - 2025

• Student membership.

American Alliance of Museums, April 1, 2014 - 2023

• Accredited at Museum of South Texas History in 2013.Re-accreditation in 2023.

• May 2019 - Annual Meeting attendee in New Orleans, Louisiana.

• May 2018 - Annual Meeting attendee in Phoenix, Arizona.

American Association of State and Local History, 2017-Present

Presenter at Annual Conference and Educators and Interpreters Committee Member.

• 2023-2024 Educators and Interpreters Committee

  • Resources and Toolkits Sub-Committee Member

  • Committee Meeting, May 13, 2024.

  • Committee Meeting, June 10, 2024.

  • Committee Meeting, August 12, 2024

  • Committee Meeting, October 28, 2024

• September 2024 - Annual Meeting panelist and attendee in Mobile, Alabama. 

• September 2023 - Annual Meeting attendee in Boise, Idaho.

• September 2022 - Annual Meeting panelist and attendee in Buffalo, New York.

• September 2021 - Annual Meeting panelist and attendee in Little Rock, Arkansas.

• May 2018 - Annual Meeting attendee in Phoenix, Arizona.

• September 2017 - Annual Meeting attendee in Austin, Texas.

National Trust for Historic Preservation, 2023-Present

• October 2024 - PastForward Conference attendee in New Orleans, Louisiana.

• October 2023 - PastForward Conference attendee in Washington D.C.

Society of Historical Archaeology, 2024-2025

• Student Membership 2024-2025.

South Texas History Association Symposium, 2022

• November 2022 - Symposium attendee in Alamo, Texas.

Texas Association of Museums, 2015-2023

• 2022-2023 Annual Conference Planning Committee

• April 2016 - Conference attendee in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Western History Association, 2022-2024

• Presenter and Attended, Kansas City, Missouri, October 2024

  • Received Graduate Student Award.

• Presenter and Attended, Los Angeles, California, October 2023

  • Graduate Student Staff.

• Presenter and Attended, San Antonio, Texas, October 2022

  • Graduate Student Staff.

Hidalgo County Historical Commission, HCHC

Committee Member, Texas, March 2023-Present

Director of Publicity Sub-Committee.

Certified Hidalgo County as a Certified Local Government (CLG) on July 9, 2025.

HCHC Committee Meetings:

• Meeting - Pharr Memorial Library, Pharr, Texas. May 21, 2023.

• Meeting - McAllen Public Library, McAllen, Texas. September 17, 2023.

• Meeting - Hidalgo County Courthouse, Hidalgo, Texas. December 3, 2023.

• Meeting – Pharr Memorial Library, Pharr, Texas. February 18, 2024.

• Meeting - Dustin Michael Sekula Memorial Library, Edinburg, Texas. May 19, 2024.

• Meeting - Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library. September 15, 2024.

• Meeting - Speer Memorial Library, Mission, Texas. November 17, 2024.

• Meeting - Pharr Memorial Library, Pharr, Texas. February 16, 2025.

• Meeting - Dustin Michael Sekula Memorial Library. Edinburg, Texas. May 18, 2025.

• Meeting - Speer Memorial Library, Mission, Texas. September 21, 2025.

• Meeting - Hidalgo Pumphouse Museum, Hidalgo, Texas. November 16, 2025.

Eddie’s Hell of the South (EHOTS) Bicycle Race presented by the Valley Off-Road Bicycle Association

Race Marshall, Texas, 2023, 2024, 2025.

Rider, 2022.

Bike Swap at Doolittle Park, March 9, 2025. Hosted by the City of Edinburg Parks & Recreation and Doolittle Slugs.

Texas Association of Museums Annual Meeting Committee

Committee Member, Texas, 2023

American Association of State and Local History Educators and Interpreters Committee

Committee Member, National, December 2022-2024

McAllen ISD Virtual History Fair Competition

History Fair Judge, McAllen, Texas, December 2022

Bikes Across Borders Migration

Host, McAllen, Texas, June 2017.

Rider and Bicycle Donor, Piedras Negras, Coahuila, May, 2016.

Host, Monterrey, McAllen, Texas, January 2015.

Escort Rider, Brownsville, Texas, February 2014.

Western History Association Graduate Student Staff

Graduate Student Staff, San Antonio, Texas, October 2022

Graduate Student Staff, Los Angeles, California, October 2023

Rio Grande Valley Tlacuaches Ultimate Disc Club

Player, coach, and team captain from 2010 to 2020.

• Texas Beach Ultimate Federation, Galveston, Texas. June 2017.

• Mexican Sectional with the Cabritos Salvajes, San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, México. April 2017.

• Celebración del Espíritu, Round Rock, Texas. October 2016.

• Torneo Hat Nuevo León, Santa Catarina, Nuevo León, México, September 2016.

• Potlach 2016, Seattle, Washington, July 2016.

• Texas Beach Ultimate Federation, Galveston, Texas. June 2016.

• Torneo Hat Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo Léon, México. May 2016.

• Trouble in Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, March 2016.

• Texas Sectionals, Round Rock, Texas. May 2015.

Rio Grande Valley Metropolitan Organization

Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Rio Grande Valley, Texas, June 2020 to November 2022

Public Heritage and Community Engagement Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies

Public Roundtable Member, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Continuing Education Annex, McAllen, Texas, February 2020.

Kid’s Q’in It Up 1st Annual Cook Off

Volunteered as BBQ Cook Off judge in Edinburg, Texas, October 2017.