Victoria Gonzales Rivas will graduate this month from UT San Antonio with a doctorate in interdisciplinary learning and teaching from the College of Education and Human Development. But her achievement represents more than personal success.
“This is not just for me,” Gonzales Rivas says. “This is for my family, to show them that we can do this. We come from borderland spaces, and life has never been easy for us.”
The hallways of academia are lined with stories of resilience, but few are as profound as Gonzales Rivas’ journey.
Gonzales Rivas is an assistant professor of mathematics at Northeast Lakeview College, an Alamo Colleges District campus. With a master’s degree in mathematics, Gonzales Rivas initially saw her career as simply teaching.
“I only needed my master’s to teach higher education,” she says. “I could do my dream job and be happy for the rest of my life.”
‘Life Is Not Always Easy’
When colleagues suggested she pursue a PhD, Gonzales Rivas was reluctant. Nobody in her family had pursued advanced education, and the possibility seemed distant.
Her path to a doctoral degree was never predetermined but rather carved through inspiration and determination.
As a young person, Gonzales Rivas heard her grandmothers’ talk of the hardships of immigration, stories that laid the groundwork for her own narrative. “My paternal grandmother was an orphan brought to the United States through the Catholic Church,” she says. “And my maternal grandmother traveled through Central America, ultimately escaping a life of trafficking.”
From them, she internalized a philosophy she shares with her students today: “Life is not easy, but it’s not impossible. You have to figure out what works for you.”
Gonzales Rivas’ venture from the field of mathematics into the discipline of teaching and education was marked by change. Starting her doctoral program during the COVID-19 pandemic meant navigating an entirely virtual experience. And the transition from mathematics to educational studies was significant.
“I was living by a dictionary,” she says. “The rigor and expectation of getting an educational degree is not the same as mathematics.”
The interdisciplinary learning and teaching program also challenged Gonzales Rivas in ways she did not anticipate. The tiny cohort of three students meant she could not fade into the background, as every discussion required her full engagement.
Future Colleague
Life transitions and health struggles added to her challenges. Gonzales Rivas credits faculty members in the Department of Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching for keeping her connected to the academic community.
Ann Marie Ryan and Crystal Kalinec-Craig, both professors in the Department of Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching, served as mentors to Gonzales Rivas, investing in her success as a future colleague.
“When times got challenging, Victoria leaned on her sense of purpose in the program, on her personal and professional network and in her belief that she could achieve this goal,” Kalinec-Craig says. “As a professor, Victoria is going to use her doctoral experience and expertise to help her students see themselves as smart.”
When Gonzales Rivas’ cousin realized she would become a “doctor,” and expressed his pride, the emotional weight of the achievement became clear. It was a moment that formed the generational significance of her journey, she says.
While she is committed to higher education, Gonzales Rivas says she’s not limiting herself to the classroom. With a degree that leads to numerous possibilities, Rivas is interested in leadership roles that keep the faculty perspective central to the mission.
“My goal is to continue making a difference,” Gonzales Rivas says. “Additionally, I’m excited about continuing research and pursuing publications based on the promising feedback from my dissertation committee.”
WATCH: Gonzales Rivas speaks about her support system during her academic journey.
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