Nina Martinez is a Tejana journalist and copy editor based out of Austin, Texas.
Raised in the sweet town of Sugar Land, Texas, Martinez developed a love for history and storytelling, which led her to her love of writing. Martinez is a recent graduate of St. Edward’s University in Austin where she earned her BA in Writing and Rhetoric, specializing in journalism.
During her four years in college, she implemented her passions in her work, chronicling and working with locals to tell their stories. Along with reporting at her university’s newspaper, she also served as editor-in-chief and a copy editor for the publication.
She learned from the talented writers and editors at Texas Monthly as an editorial intern, reporting and writing state-based stories and shadowing the copyediting team.
When she’s not writing, she’s thinking about writing, playing with her sweet pup, Fitzgerald (yes, after F. Scott Fitzgerald), or riding her bike down the bustling streets of Austin.
While Bianca Neal was earning her doctorate in Leadership and Higher Education at St. Edward’s, she participated in a course: Leadership in the 21st Century: Current Trends, Emerging Possibilities. She learned that her singular experience as an isolated Latina in higher education was tied to a much broader issue. As documented by the , only 3% of post-secondary educators are Latina.
At just four-years old, Michael Sharod Houston ‘23 was perfecting his drawing skills during church as he sat in the pew and sketched out roses. He was always drawn to animations that teach and make people feel good. Children’s animations like Arthur and other PBS Kids shows spoke to him because it’s something the whole family can enjoy and learn from together. As he grew older, he continued drawing and his signature mark became the lead smudges over his sketches.
Pursuing multiple passions often feels exciting, daunting and sometimes impossible. With endless support and guidance from faculty and peers at St. Edward’s, those dreams become achievable. Here are four recent alumni who are following their own interdisciplinary paths by exercising their spiritual growth and mastering their crafts at three prestigious graduate schools.
As a writer, dancer, and theologian, Calista Robledo ‘22 wears many hats—and she wears them well. Robledo graduated from St. Edward’s with two bachelor degrees in Writing and Rhetoric and Catholic Studies. She ministered and guided fellow students as a Spiritual Development Coordinator for Campus Ministry and wrote for student publications like New Literati and The Sorin Oak Review. Whether it was through an engaging play she wrote and directed, content she created for the Holy Cross Institute, or simply from a classroom discussion, Robledo’s creativity was always apparent to those around her. After graduation, she channeled her creativity by teaching little ones the foundation of dance at her childhood dance school in Weslaco, Texas.
The first step to becoming a leader is the ability to truly understand others. Although she’s held multiple leadership positions, Natalie Hughes ‘23 is taking that step through each conversation and scripture by pursuing her Masters of Arts in Religion at Yale Divinity School.
Dafne Villanueva ‘22 was studying for the LSAT when she received a message from Dr. Kelley Coblentz Bautch, professor and department chair of religious studies at St. Edward’s, about divinity school applications. Because of the encouragement and support from faculty, she applied to both Harvard and Yale and decided to pursue divinity school first. Divinity school educates students in scripture and theology, and prepares them to serve as clergy, in academics or in ministry.
When Sierra Garcia crossed the graduation stage in May 2023, she had no idea she’d soon be living in a coastal Texas town with five strangers who shared a common interest. But now, when she gets home from teaching 6th and 7th grade science in Corpus Christi, she hangs out with her housemates, who also teach at Catholic schools in town. Garcia is a part of the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE), a prestigious teaching fellowship at fellow Holy Cross school, The University of Notre Dame.
Opal Lee first made national headlines in 2016, when the then-89-year-old walked more than 1,400 miles from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C., in a campaign to convince lawmakers to recognize Juneteenth as a federal holiday (a designation it finally received in 2021). Seven years after her historic walk, Lee’s activism continues to make news. She was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2022, and this year was honored as the second Black woman to have her portrait hung in the Texas Senate chamber.
Ryan Alter, Austin’s District 5 city council member, authored his first resolution in support of affordable student housing. The resolution was approved with amendments at the city council meeting on Feb. 23. “I’m excited this is my first council agenda item,” Alter said. “I believe it’s an incredibly important issue for our city.” The resolution directs the Austin City Manager and the city’s College Student Commission to create ways for students to affordably live close to their college campu
Students can find easy links to the resources provided by visiting the St. Edward’s It’s On Us Instagram page. The Uber newsroom announced a rideshare safety campaign on Jan. 27 in collaboration with the national organization It’s On Us to bring rideshare safety education to campuses across the country. Uber and It’s On Us selected 10 college campuses to receive safety tips and an incentive for the month of February. St. Edward’s University was one of the campuses selected for the campaign. “
A resolution recognizing Feb. 9 as “St. Edward’s University Day” was adopted by Texas lawmakers. During a House and Senate session on Feb. 8 in the Texas State Capitol, university and student leaders gathered in the chamber to witness the achievement. “I feel incredibly excited,” university President Monterrat Fuentes said. “It’s wonderful to see that appreciation and recognition from the community.” House Resolution 93 places strong emphasis on the university’s ongoing commitment to diversity
My first Mardi Gras memory happened when I was just five years old. I went to Catholic school in Houston, and in 2006, when I was in kindergarten, I gained a new friend, who’d fled New Orleans with his family after Hurricane Katrina. To help Christian and all the other newcomers feel at home, our school organized a parade around the rose garden in front of the church. We crowded the street in our purple, gold, and green gear, eager to catch beads. A few years later, at age ten, I got to attend a
St. Edward’s University’s Black Student Alliance held its second annual “Power to the People” event, with this year’s focus on the intersection of race and incarceration. The main topic was “Justice for Us” and revolved around a panel of experts on the incarceration system. “We wanted to create an event that educated the community around social issues,” BSA President, Alexis Reed, said. This was the first “Power to the People” event with a focal point. Last year’s pilot, “Power to the People:
Students for Sustainability and the university’s Office of Sustainability offered multiple events to celebrate campus sustainability month this October. This fall season, SFS has been organizing and implementing sustainable alternatives on campus. On Sept. 28, for the “Eat Local” food challenge, SFS Garden Director Luke Tobias supplied Bon Appétit — the food service that is partnered with St. Edward’s — with fresh basil, kale and cilantro. Three months before the challenge, Tobias began plantin
The campus community garden is located behind Teresa Hall and also includes a place for compostable materials to be disposed. The gravel pathway starts at Teresa Hall’s parking lot. Behind Teresa Hall lies a garden with sprouting plants and Adirondack chairs surrounding a table supplying sunscreen and bug spray — this is the St. Edward’s University campus garden. It was created and is maintained by the student organization Students for Sustainability. Last school year, Disabled Students Organi
The second floor of Equity Hall is home to the School of Behavioral and Social Sciences, which oversees the social work and psychology majors — two fields the certificate is directed at. “We haven’t always been good at this,” associate professor and social work program director Laurie Heffron said about language justice. Language justice is the idea that every person should have the opportunity to use the language they feel most comfortable and empowered to speak in. The latest U.S. Census rep
Freshman Michelle Rodriguez, a forensic science major, studies in the John Brooks Williams – South building, home to the School of Natural Sciences. The new School of Health Sciences will be one of three science schools at the liberal arts university. This 2022-23 academic year marks the start of “Strategic Plan 2027: Destination University for a More Just World” – St. Edward’s University’s five-year plan. The development of SP27 began July 1, 2021, when Montserrat “Monste” Fuentes assumed the
Walking into the Munday Library, past the chess boards and rows of desktops, sits a windowed room on the left. The lights gently illuminate the space, drawing eyes toward the Heritage Edition of The Saint John’s Bible and the cases of nostalgic Hilltopper memorabilia. This is the Tocker Reading Room. The Munday Library does more than provide a space for students to study, learn and create; it’s also home to the extensive Archives and Special Collections of St. Edward’s University. The Universit
Penders head-coached at St. Edward’s University for 15 years. The Hilltoppers began their 2021-22 season on Feb. 4 at home against Eastern New Mexico. On December 3 at 10:08 a.m., President Fuentes released a statement informing the St. Edward’s community of a change in leadership within the St. Edward’s Men’s Baseball team. The email stated, “Effective immediately, Rob Penders will conclude his tenure as head baseball coach at St. Edward’s University.” Penders’ departure comes after a private
A survey on the effects of COVID-19 on college students concluded that the pandemic brought negative impacts to higher education. student Amber Taylor struggled when taking in-person college courses for the first time as a sophomore. “Terrified” — that’s how sophomore Amber Taylor described jumping into in-person classes this fall semester after starting her college career virtually. Taylor, a political science and global studies double major at St. Edward’s University was robbed of a normal fr
