Outstanding students chart path for their futures
As a veteran educator with 18 years of teaching experience, D’Anna Long is expecting another accolade this May to add to her life: a graduate degree from the University of Houston-Victoria.
Long, a Victoria native, was named the Outstanding Graduate Student for the UHV College of Education & Health Professions. She is set to receive a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, Higher Secondary Education with a concentration in English on May 17. The Outstanding Undergraduate Student for the college is Shelby Keith, a first-generation student from Edna who will receive a Bachelor of Science in Education.
Each semester, professors from UHV’s four colleges select outstanding students to be honored during commencement. UHV will host three commencement ceremonies on May 17 at Faith Family Church, 2002 E. Mockingbird Ln., Victoria, TX 77904.
The first ceremony to take place that day will be at 9 a.m. to recognize students from the College of Education & Health Professions. The second ceremony will start at noon to celebrate students from the College of Business. The third ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. for students in the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences and the College of Natural & Applied Science. A live stream of the ceremonies will be available at https://www.uhv.edu/commencement/.
"I am incredibly proud of D'Anna and Shelby for their dedication, excellence and determination,” said Rachel Martinez, dean of the education college. "Their accomplishments demonstrate not only their hard work but also their ability to meet the high standards set by the College of Education & Health Professions. I wish them continued success in their future endeavors."
During the course of her 18 years in public education, Long has taught fifth grade as a self-contained teacher in Victoria, she then went on to teach English, social studies, reading, math and science in Ganado. From then on, Long went on to Edna to teach reading and writing.
Two years ago, she transitioned to work at the Region 3 Education Service Center, where she works to support more than 20 teachers weekly in six different school districts by assisting with their HQIM curriculum and also by assisting with teaching in the classroom from time to time.
“Once I start something, I finish it,” Long said. “When I set out to accomplish a goal, I don’t just try – I commit. I push through every obstacle, every doubt, until it’s done. Quitting isn’t in my vocabulary.”
Long’s academic path began with a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences with a concentration in communication from UHV, which she received in 2008. Her motivation stems from a deep desire to create opportunities for herself and to set a strong example for her children and provide a safety net for them, Long said.
Despite initially being comfortable as a homemaker, Long said she recognized the importance of having her own professional foundation. Her husband was working shifts at the time and was providing more than enough for the family without her having to work, but she was also driven by the unexpected nature of life and the need to have a safety net for her family.
“I didn’t want to live off of somebody else,” Long said. “What if something were to happen to my husband? Could I still afford to send my kids to school and buy them clothes and school supplies? So, my husband and I both made the agreement that I would go back to school.”
Her journey at UHV was significantly influenced by supportive professors at UHV, Long said. Some people who have really helped her along her journey included Teresa LeSage Clements and Barba Patton, professors in the UHV College of Education & Health Professions.
“Dr. Teresa LeSage Clements has been a pivotal figure who provided a solidness for me, helping me. She’s always been there to guide me in the right direction, she is truly there for her students,” Long said. “Dr. Patton, that woman right there is remarkable. She is spitfire. I mean, she is anywhere and everywhere to help you. She wants her students to go above and beyond what’s just in the classroom.”
Looking forward, Long said she hopes to teach at a junior college one day, leveraging her practical experience and academic expertise. For now, Region 3 is the place to be, she said. As she prepares to walk the stage at UHV yet again, Long said she sees this achievement not merely as a personal milestone, but as a symbol of perseverance and purpose.
“It goes back to the feeling of having my husband and my children as my biggest support system,” Long said. “For them to say, ‘Hey mom, no matter what age you are, no matter where you are in life, once you start something, you can finish it.’”
As a first-generation college student, Shelby Keith is set to become the first in her family to earn a college degree.
Growing up in Edna, Keith has always found herself surrounded by educators. Her mother works as a paraprofessional at an elementary school, and several of her aunts and cousins are teachers. These early influences sparked her passion for education early on and led her to tutor her peers in high school, Keith said.
“In high school, I really enjoyed helping other students who needed support in subjects like math or science,” she said.
Keith graduated third in her class, and after high school, she originally attended Houston Baptist University. She soon learned that the culture of her new college didn’t fit into her personality, and she made plans to return home and transferred to Victoria College to finish her basics before finding her academic home at UHV in spring of 2023.
“It was so nice to be home again,” Keith said. “I had more free time, I was able to spend time with friends and family, and I was able to get a job in education.”
As a student in the JagsTeach Teacher Residency program, Keith has spent the past two semesters student teaching at an elementary school, gaining hands-on experience to prepare herself thoroughly for her future classroom. Her biggest support has been her family, who have been in her corner all throughout her journey to celebrate all of her victories, Keith said.
“I’ve really enjoyed being in the education program, seeing the same faces in class and building friendships with them over time,” Keith said. “Walking the stage this graduation, it makes me feel like I can do anything I set my mind to.”
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.