Sylvia T. Gonzales is the HSI STEM Impact & MAESTROS Director, member of the Hispanic Policy Network, and US1100 faculty. Sylvia is the first in her family to go to college and is working on her Ed.D. in Positive Organizational Leadership from Abilene Christian University. Sylvia continues to ensure the undergraduate student experience is authentic as she has served as an advocate, mentor, and leader to underrepresented college students for 21 years. She has helped with the grassroots development of 6 federal grant programs in TX/NM, including Title III, V, and TRIO grants. She is also an active member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities and Alliance for Hispanic Serving Institutional Educators and helped establish the Bobcat Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) certificate program and serves as co-chair on the First Gen Proud Working Group at Texas State University. Sylvia has received numerous awards and recognition for her contributions, including Angelika Lester Wahl Diversity Award, HPN’s Latinx Star Award, a “Program to Watch†designation by Excelencia in Education, Bright Spots in Hispanic Education, and NASPA’s & Studer Foundation First-Gen Forward designation.