Amaya Coronado
McNair Scholar 2024
- Major(s): History Education (7-12)
- Classification: Senior
- Anticipated Graduation Date: Fall 2025
- Career Aspirations: After attaining a bachelor’s degree, Amaya intends to pursue a master’s degree in higher education administration with an emphasis in student affairs. The orientation program here at WTAMU inspired her to continue the mission of keeping retention rates high at universities and colleges all over the country and aiding students in getting plugged into campus life.
“My favorite part about being a McNair Scholar was the constant reminders from the cohort and my mentor that research and being in higher education is difficult and takes patience. Being a first-generation college student, I would always feel so alone in my struggles. I convinced myself that I was not smart enough to be in college and not good enough to be a McNair Scholar. The love and support from my peers, McNair staff, and my mentor during this time has helped quiet my imposter syndrome, strengthen my passion for higher education, and prepared me to pursue graduate school.”
“The Struggle for Educational Equity for Mexican Americans in the West Texas Borderlands”
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Tim Bowman
According to the 2023 U.S. Census, Hispanics are the largest ethnic group in Texas. One might think that the largest ethnic group in Texas would have a well-documented and broadly taught history, but that is not the reality. This project shares the stories of people of Mexican descent in the West Texas Borderlands. The primary focus is segregated schools in West Texas. In comparison to the mandated segregated schools for African American children under Jim Crow laws, there is a disparity in the documented history of the schools for ethnically Mexican children. Ultimately, this essay demonstrates that anti-Mexican “Juan Crow” laws enabled school districts around Texas to discriminate against, intimidate, and oppress Mexican Americans to uphold systems of white supremacy within education.