Alumna found love for higher education at UHV
When Nancy Mata Hernandez first transferred to the University of Houston-Victoria from Palo Alto College in San Antonio, she was a communications major. But once she took some psychology courses at UHV, her entire plan changed.
“UHV set the foundation for my passion and commitment to higher education,” Hernandez said. “I love to share my story and encourage others to pursue an education. It was such a positive change in my life, and it can be that for others as well.”
Hernandez came to UHV at a time when the university was making some interesting changes. The university had only one academic building, and it had just named the jaguar as its official mascot. She chose to come to Victoria after receiving a scholarship from UHV. Since the university didn’t have residence halls at that time, she found an apartment in Victoria when she enrolled at UHV.
As a first-generation student, Hernandez was concerned about how she would acclimate to life on campus. However, that fear melted away when she met her fellow students and began attending classes.
“Everyone at UHV was so friendly and welcoming,” she said. “They welcomed me and made me feel at home. I made some great friends with my fellow students as well as the campus leadership and still remain close with several of them today.”
During her second semester at the university, Hernandez was invited to be a part of a university photo session on campus. She and other students were photographed for images that would be used in the university’s advertising pieces. When she came to the session, Hernandez had no idea that her image would be chosen and featured in some prominent locations.
“Suddenly my picture was up on several highway billboards, as well as in the university course catalogue and other marketing materials,” she said. “It felt a bit like becoming a poster child for the university. People were recognizing me around town, at my local grocery store, and in my classes. It was a surreal experience, but it also pushed me to be even more motivated to succeed.”
While she was getting her bachelor’s degree in psychology, Hernandez took a position as a student worker in the university’s Financial Aid office. The experience she received there, as well as the students she helped serve, was the beginning of her love for working in higher education.
When she graduated with her bachelor's degree in psychology in 1998, Hernandez initially planned to pursue a career in counseling. However, her first job was working for a computer company in Austin. That led her to pursue a master’s degree in business. Afterward, she earned a position working in the Financial Aid office at Christopher Newport University in Virgina, and she has worked in higher education ever since. She’s held roles in career advising, institutional research, strategic planning and more.
Hernandez recently received her Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership Administration, and today she is the senior director of academic affairs for the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio. At UTHCSA, she oversees assessment initiatives and ensures that the GSBS remains in compliance with all federal, state, system and internal regulations and reporting. Hernandez works with faculty and program directors in developing plans and devising strategies to continuously improve program performance. She works remotely and recently moved to the New England area.
“I’m very passionate about the value of higher education, especially for students who need support to make a change in their lives,” she said. “UHV is very dear to me. It’s afforded me opportunities that I might not have received at a larger institution. It was such a good environment with amazing faculty, and I know they continue that tradition today.”
As she looks at how far the university has come since she earned her degree, Hernandez is excited to see how the growth on campus will help current and future students.
“I’m very proud of UHV and all the changes they’ve made,” she said. “I get very excited when I see how much its grown and when I hear San Antonio students talk about starting their college journey at UHV. Now the university’s about to make an exciting move into the Texas A&M University System. No matter what the name is, I’ll always be a proud alumna whose passion started in Victoria.”
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 50 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.