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Apply SAN ANTONIO – Texas A&M University-San Antonio has appointed Patty D. Mendoza as the director of the Henry G. Cisneros Institute for Emerging Leaders. Mendoza previously served as Director of the nation-wide Alumni Network for Reality Changers, California’s leading college access and retention program for firstgeneration college students.
Mendoza brings more than a decade of leadership, program management and academic experience to the role of director of the Cisneros Institute for Emerging Leaders. Her past and current community leadership and service contributions include the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services-San Antonio, MANA de San Diego: Scholarship Committee, the San Diego Foundation, National Conference on Race and Ethnicity-Latinx Caucus, and Anti-Defamation League.
“We are pleased to have someone of Ms. Mendoza’s caliber leading the Cisneros Institute. There is much work ahead and she is the right person, with her strong leadership skills and strategic vision, to successfully lead the Institute. Her experience, both professionally and personally, brings a level of expertise that will serve the students, the Institute and the University well,” said Mari Fuentes-Martin, vice president for Student Success and Engagement at A&M-San Antonio.
“I’m looking forward to supporting the next generation of leaders at our growing HSI university and being a part of a community that work towards moving the needle in educational equity,” said Mendoza. “I’m excited to serve the South Bexar County community, Texas A&M University-San Antonio community and grow the Cisneros Institute for Emerging Leaders in partnership with campus and community partners,” she added.
Mendoza received an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts from Long Beach City College, a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Chicanx Studies from University of California Berkley, and a Master of Arts in Chicanx Studies from California State University Northridge.
The Cisneros Institute, established in 2018, was named in honor of the Hon. Henry G. Cisneros, whose lead gift of $1 million helped to launch the institute. Cisneros realized the importance of preparing Southside San Antonio students for leadership roles in the community and industry after graduation. His gift was a commitment to providing practical leadership experience benefiting not only the students but the San Antonio community.
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About Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Texas A&M University-San Antonio is a comprehensive, four-year public university that reflects the culturally diverse, heritage-rich community it serves. Situated on nearly 700 acres in south San Antonio, A&M-San Antonio is a Military Embracing™ institution offering 30 undergraduate degrees and 19 graduate degrees to nearly 6,800 students. A&M-Sn Antonio is home to the Henry G. Cisneros Institute for Emerging Leaders and the Cyber Engineering Technology/Cyber Security Research Center. A&M-San Antonio holds the Department of Education’s Hispanic-Serving Institution designation (HSI).