UP Partnership and greater:SATX Secure USAA Funding to Strengthen Student Workforce Pathways
UP Partnership and greater:SATX Secure USAA Funding to Strengthen Student Workforce Pathways
San Antonio (Oct. 28, 2025) — UP Partnership and greater:SATX Regional Economic Partnership have received funding from USAA to evaluate the region’s current Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) environment to strengthen workforce pathways for high school students across Bexar County, ensuring that every young person has an opportunity to achieve economic mobility through high-wage, high-demand careers.
Funded in part by a $350,000 grant from USAA, the Strengthening Workforce Pathways: CTE and P-TECH project will deliver a comprehensive, data-driven evaluation of the region’s programs in these areas of education. This initiative directly supports the Future Ready Bexar County Plan, a shared regional strategy uniting education, workforce, and community partners to prepare students for postsecondary success and career advancement.
Bridging Education and Industry
UP Partnership and greater:SATX will work in tandem with Alamo Colleges District and seven Future Ready Bexar County public school districts — East Central, Edgewood, Harlandale, Judson, Northside, San Antonio, and Southwest ISDs — to assess how well CTE and P-TECH programs align with San Antonio’s high-demand industries, including advanced manufacturing, healthcare, information technology, and financial services.
“Our goal is to make sure every student in Bexar County—no matter their background or zip code—can connect their education to meaningful careers,” said Cathy Jones, Ph.D., CEO at UP Partnership. “We can only do this by working cohesively with our Future Ready partners such as greater:SATX, Alamo Colleges District, and our seven Future Ready school districts ensuring that we are aligning education with the region’s most promising career pathways.”
As the lead economic development organization for the ten-county Greater San Antonio region, greater:SATX plays a critical role in driving workforce alignment to support global corporate recruitment and local business retention and growth. For ten years, SA WORX, greater:SATX’s talent development program, has partnered with employers, educators, and community organizations to create equitable pathways into high-demand, high-wage careers —this will ensure that our future talent has the skills and experiences needed to thrive in San Antonio’s growing industries.
“This partnership is a true example of how our region comes together to ensure every young person has access to the education and experiences that lead to quality careers here in our community,” said Romanita Matta-Barrera, Chief Business Advancement Officer at greater:SATX. “By aligning our education and industry needs through initiatives like this, we’re building stronger pathways from classrooms to careers, while strengthening San Antonio’s future workforce in the process.”
Building on that collaboration, Alamo Colleges District and its High School Programs team will play a pivotal role in connecting secondary and postsecondary education through strong partnerships with local school districts. Through their P-TECH and continuing education programs, Alamo Colleges works closely with educators and industry partners to ensure that students gain both the credentials and the hands-on experience needed to succeed in today’s workforce. This also directly aligns with the Future Ready Bexar County’s “Access” pillar and associated strategy of expanding best practices in college access.
“Our High School Programs team is deeply committed to working hand-in-hand with our ISD partners to give students a head start on their college and career journeys,” said Sara Mann, Chief High School Programs Officer at Alamo Colleges District. “By collaborating with UP Partnership and greater:SATX, we’re expanding opportunities for students to earn college credit, industry-recognized credentials, and real-world experience. We are building clear, supported pathways from high school to high-wage, high-demand careers.”
Investing in San Antonio’s Future
The initiative’s success relies on community investment and the belief that education and workforce alignment are key drivers of San Antonio’s long-term prosperity. USAA, a company deeply rooted in the community, is funding this effort as part of its ongoing mission to improve the quality of life for military families and local communities and advance economic mobility in their local campus communities.
“USAA has been a strong supporter of our San Antonio community since our founding over 100 years ago. Championing these programs empowers San Antonio students to achieve lasting success and builds a robust talent pipeline that drives our region’s economic growth,” said Jenna Saucedo-Herrera, Head of Corporate Impact at USAA. “We understand the importance of strong, resilient communities, and by investing in partnerships that connect education and workforce systems, we’re investing in the future of our city, ensuring a steady stream of skilled professionals who can thrive in high-demand careers and contribute to San Antonio’s long-term prosperity.”
Driving Systems Change
- By the end of the year-long effort, the project will produce:
- A comprehensive report on the CTE/P-TECH landscape across Bexar County;
- A gap analysis identifying barriers to postsecondary and workforce success;
- Policy and program recommendations to improve student outcomes; and
- A coordinated action plan uniting education, industry, and workforce development systems.
More about UP Partnership: Founded in 2009, UP Partnership’s mission is to ensure all young people in Bexar County are ready for the future. We are a San Antonio-based nonprofit social impact organization that coordinates data, aligns pathways and promotes policy change that can help to unlock the full potential of young people ages 0-24 years in our region. Our mission is ambitious, challenging, and achievable when we organize our efforts across the area. Learn more about UP and the Future Ready Bexar County Plan – a strategic plan to guide shared action, language, goals, metrics, and practices that drive progress – at uppartnership.org.
More about greater:SATX: greater:SATX leads economic development for the 10-county Greater San Antonio region, growing jobs that provide economic mobility for all residents. greater:SATX recruits global investment, helps local employers stay and grow, builds the skilled workforce companies need, and markets the region globally. With support from the City of San Antonio, Bexar County, CPS Energy, SAWS, and private partners, greater:SATX has supported 500+ relocations and expansions that now employ 120,000+ San Antonians. More at greatersatx.com; follow @greater_SATX on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook
Be a Part of Future Ready Week: November 1-8. 2025
Future Ready Week
November 1-8, 2025
The Vision
UP Partnership will coordinate Future Ready Week in November 2025.
The vision for Future Ready Week is to highlight a series of free, community-driven events designed to help more young people and families learn of the opportunities, resources and youth supports available to lead to a brighter future. This cross-sector coordinated effort of Future Ready partners showcases the pathways to successful futures for students in Bexar County after high school.
How You Can Participate
Coordinate and plan events that align to the North Star goal of increasing postsecondary and workforce credentialing enrollment to 70% by 2030 or the themes below.
Themes
Nov. 1 – Schedule Saturday: Learn how to set yourself up for college success!
- Alamo Colleges District: Financial Aid Saturday, open 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., offering in-person support to create an FSA ID and complete the FAFSA — the first step to accessing grants, work-study, and loans that help fund your education. Learn more.
Nov. 2 – Speak up Sunday: Let your voice be heard! Tell an elected official, whether through social media, writing a letter or email or in person, about what you most want to learn about to be better prepared for your future!
Nov. 3 – Major Monday: Spotlight different academic majors or departments to broaden awareness of postsecondary options.
- 2nd Annual Bexar Area School Safety and Mental Health Summit (Invite Only), 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., at ESC Region 20, bringing together school districts, charter schools, law enforcement, government leaders, hospitals, and nonprofit partners to strengthen collaboration around school safety and youth mental health.
Nov. 4 – Trade Tuesday: Explore trade and vocational pathways.
- Alamo Colleges District: Virtual Financial Aid Night, Tuesday, November 4, 2025, from 6:00–8:00 p.m., offering one-on-one online support from the Student Financial Aid Office to help you create an FSA ID and complete your FAFSA — the first step to accessing grants, work-study, and loans that help fund your education. Learn more.
Nov. 5 – Wellness Wednesday: Focus on wellbeing as an important step to success.
- San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce: CORE4 STEM Expo at The Boeing Center at Tech Port San Antonio, a hands-on STEM activities and career exploration for seventh and eighth graders. Learn more.
- Career Explorer Programs at Crockett Academy (Invite Only), an interactive initiative introducing 7th grade students to career pathways through hands-on activities, advising workshops, and engagement with community role models to support informed transitions into high school CTE programs.
Nov. 6 – Take-note Thursday: Tips on how to get to academic success like how to study, financial aid, etc.
- San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce: CORE4 STEM Expo at The Boeing Center at Tech Port San Antonio, a hands-on STEM activities and career exploration for seventh and eighth graders. Learn more.
- Career Explorer Programs at Crockett Academy (Invite Only), an interactive initiative introducing 7th grade students to career pathways through hands-on activities, advising workshops, and engagement with community role models to support informed transitions into high school CTE programs.
Nov. 7 – Future Ready Friday!: Focus on career planning, goal setting, and life after college.
- San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce: CORE4 STEM Expo at The Boeing Center at Tech Port San Antonio, a hands-on STEM activities and career exploration for seventh and eighth graders. Learn more.
Nov. 8 – Student Success Saturday at Hemisfair Park: Setting You Up for Success emphasizing connecting with college and career resources.
- Bexar County BiblioTech: College Workshop at Biblotech Edu, a free workshop offering college-readiness tools and application support. Learn more.
- San Antonio Education Partnership / Café College: College 210 on Saturday, November 8, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., at Café College, celebration of college pathways and opportunities for students and families.
Shaping the Future: UP Partnership Launches First-Ever Leaders of Tomorrow Fellowship
Shaping the Future: UP Partnership Launches First-Ever Leaders of Tomorrow Fellowship
Twenty leaders selected from across Bexar County for new leadership program aimed at San Antonio’s youth
San Antonio, TX (Aug. 28, 2025) — UP Partnership proudly announced the selection of its inaugural cohort of UP Leaders of Tomorrow (ULoT), a fellowship program aimed at empowering young leaders between the ages of 16 and 24 to grow their skills in leadership, civic engagement, and systems-level change.
The ULoT Fellowship will run from September 2025 through May 2026, engaging fellows in a transformative journey through leadership development, mentorship, and community-based advocacy. The 20 selected participants will commit approximately 10 hours per month to attend leadership training sessions, work with mentors and guest speakers, and contribute to youth-led community projects. The youth live across diverse City Council Districts and Bexar County Precincts.
“These young leaders represent the voice and vision of San Antonio’s future,” said Cathy Jones, Ph.D., UP Partnership’s CEO. “We hope their participation in this fellowship will equip them with the tools they need to advocate for building better communities where everyone can thrive.”
Fellows will receive a stipend of $2,500 disbursed in three installments over the program’s duration. The stipend will serve as payment for the time and dedication these youth will invest in educational programming and active participation in civic initiatives on behalf of the Future Ready Bexar County Plan.
The UP Leaders of Tomorrow Fellowship reflects our community’s Future Ready mission to amplify youth voice in shaping systems that serve them — from education to workforce pathways. By building young people’s capacities in policy, leadership, and collective impact, the fellowship supports the development of tomorrow’s changemakers today.
The 2024–2025 UP Leaders of Tomorrow Fellowship class represents a diverse cross-section of young leaders across Bexar County. Collectively, the fellows represent seven local school districts including Future Ready Public School Districts East Central ISD, Harlandale ISD, Judson ISD, Northside ISD and San Antonio ISD; five higher education institutions including Future Ready Partners Northwest Vista College, St. Philip’s College, Texas A&M University-San Antonio, Trinity University and University of Texas at San Antonio; and includes two recent university graduates.
In addition, they bring connections to numerous community-based organizations including Future Ready Partners Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Texas, Healthy Futures of Texas, Lemonade Circle, Students of Service – San Antonio, Youth Do Vote, YMCA of Greater San Antonio and YWCA San Antonio and represent all San Antonio City Council districts and Bexar County precincts.
More about UP Partnership:
Founded in 2009, UP Partnership’s mission is to ensure all young people in Bexar County are ready for the future. We are a San Antonio-based nonprofit social impact organization that coordinates data, aligns pathways and promotes policy change that can help to unlock the full potential of young people ages 0-24 years in our region. Learn more about UP and the Future Ready Bexar County Plan – a strategic plan to guide shared action, language, goals, metrics, and practices that drive progress – at uppartnership.org.
More about Future Ready Bexar County:
In April 2022, UP Partnership launched the Future Ready Bexar County Plan, which currently has more than 100 institutions signed on as official partners. This plan identified pillars that are necessary for improving outcomes among young people in our community – healing, access, voice and system supports. The Future Ready Bexar County Plan has a collective North Star goal of increasing postsecondary and credential enrollment of Bexar County’s high school graduates from around 50% at the launch of the plan to 70% by 2030. For more information on the Future Ready Bexar County plan, please visit: FutureReadySA.org.
UP Partnership Names Dr. Cathy Jones as New CEO
UP Partnership Names Dr. Cathy Jones as New CEO
Veteran educator and equity-driven leader will begin July 14th
SAN ANTONIO (June 25, 2025) — Following a national search, nonprofit executive and seasoned educational leader Cathy Jones, Ph.D. has been selected as the next CEO of UP Partnership by the organization’s Board of Directors. Jones will assume her role on July 14, bringing with her more than two decades of experience in advancing regional systems leadership, school improvement, community-driven impact and opportunities for young people in education.
“After a thorough, robust candidate vetting process diligently undertaken by our search committee, Cathy rose as the top candidate due to being a highly respected regional leader and lifelong educator, as well as a champion for transformational partnerships between schools, nonprofits, and public agencies,” said Elaine Mendoza, UP Partnership Chair of the Board. “She brings the right mix of vision, experience, and values to lead UP Partnership into its next chapter.”
Dr. Jones most recently served as Executive Director of Austin Partners in Education, where she led student-focused tutoring and mentoring initiatives to strengthen college and career readiness. Her career began in the classroom, and she has held roles ranging from elementary teacher and mentor to assistant superintendent in Central Texas school districts. Her leadership is marked by a commitment to student opportunity and sustainable change.
“I am honored to join UP Partnership at this pivotal time,” said Jones. “I look forward to building relationships with the more than 100 Future Ready institutional partners and the San Antonio community to advance the Future Ready vision and ensure that every young person in Bexar County has the support and opportunity they deserve to thrive.”
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Angelo State University, a master’s degree in Educational Administration from Texas State University, and a doctorate in Educational Administration from The University of Texas at Austin’s Cooperative Superintendency Program.
The CEO search committee in charge of vetting and selecting the candidate was chaired by UP Partnership Board Secretary Bobby Blount, along with Mendoza; Board Treasurer Tom Moreno of Texas Partners Bank; and board members Christopher Martin of United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County; Shari Albright, Ed.D. of the Charles Butt Foundation; Jeff Goldhorn, Ph.D. of Education Services Center Region 20; Sarah Baray, Ph.D. of Pre-K 4 SA; Roland Toscano of East Central ISD; and Simon Salas of Good Samaritan Community Services.
“We were intentional in our search for a leader who could elevate our bold vision with heart, experience, and a strong collaborative spirit,” said Bobby Blount. “Dr. Jones checks all those boxes and more.”
Dr. Jones will succeed Emily Calderón Galdeano, Ed.D., who served as UP Partnership’s Interim CEO since October 2024 and will support a seamless transition. Calderón Galdeano will continue to serve as the organization’s Chief Impact and Strategy Officer.
Jones’s full biography can be found linked here.
More about UP Partnership: Founded in 2009, UP Partnership’s mission is to ensure all young people in Bexar County are ready for the future. We are a San Antonio-based nonprofit social impact organization that coordinates data, aligns pathways and promotes policy change that can help to unlock the full potential of young people ages 0-24 years in our region. Our mission is ambitious, challenging, and achievable when we organize our efforts across the area. Learn more about UP and the Future Ready Bexar County Plan – a strategic plan to guide shared action, language, goals, metrics, and practices that drive progress – at uppartnership.org.
More about Future Ready Bexar County:
In April 2022, UP Partnership launched the Future Ready Bexar County Plan, which currently has more than 100 institutions signed on as official partners. This plan identified pillars that are necessary for improving outcomes among young people in our community – healing, access, voice and systems supports. The Future Ready Bexar County Plan has a collective North Star goal of increasing postsecondary and credential enrollment of Bexar County’s high school graduates from around 50% at the launch of the plan to 70% by 2030. For more information on the Future Ready Bexar County plan, please visit: FutureReadySA.org.
Attendees Show the Power of Youth in Civic Roles during a local Mayoral Forum
More than 400 Attendees Show the Power of Youth in Civic Roles during a local Mayoral Forum
On April 1, more than 400 young people and their families from across San Antonio engaged with mayoral candidates at the inaugural Future Ready Bexar County Youth-Led Mayoral Candidate Forum and Resource Fair. This event was designed to amplify youth voices in local elections, educate the community on key issues and inspire voter participation ahead of the upcoming election.
This event was organized by a coalition of young people from Future Ready Bexar County institutional partners, including CAST Schools Network, Futuro San Antonio, Higher Education Advisory Board, NXT Level Path Builders, Project Worth Teen Ambassadors, San Antonio Youth Commission, Trinity University and Youth Do Vote, as well as community civic partner the League of Women Voters San Antonio.
10 of the 27 total San Antonio Mayoral Candidates answered questions developed by young people giving insights to their plans on topics such as mental health, education, and workforce development.
Candidates who were present include:
• Santos Alvarado
• Beto Altamirano
• John Courage
• Adriana Rocha Garcia
• Melissa Cabello Havrda
• Gina Ortiz Jones
• Jade McCullough
• Robert T. Melvin
• Clayton Perry
• Christopher Reyes.
Youth Leaders and Organizers included:
• Audrey, Junior, Young Women’s Leadership Academy, San Antonio ISD
• Deniff, Graduate, University of Texas at San Antonio and Student Election Clerk,
• Julia, Senior, Keystone School and the moderator for the event
• Leona, Senior, CAST Lead High School, East Central ISD
• Michael, Student, University of Texas at San Antonio
Young people and their families also had the chance to register to vote, receive voter education materials and civic engagement resources. They also had access to speak to the Mayoral candidates after the forum.
Trellis Foundation Invests in Future Ready Bexar County
Trellis Foundation Invests in Bexar County's Future with Grant to Strengthen College and Career Advising
In December 2024, the Trellis Foundation made an investment of $450,000 to UP Partnership to enhance college and career advising, support students’ postsecondary success, and advance data-driven decision-making. This investment will help to maximize the impact of the Future Ready Bexar County Plan.
Launched in April 2022, the Future Ready Bexar County Plan brings together more than 100 partner institutions committed to improving outcomes for young people through its core pillars: Healing, Access, Voice, along with essential System Supports. The plan’s North Star goal is to increase the percentage of Bexar County high school graduates enrolling in a postsecondary degree or credential to 70% by 2030.
“The Future Ready Bexar County Plan is a powerful example of what’s possible when communities come together to ensure every student has access to the support they need to succeed,” said Kristin Boyer, CEO & President of Trellis Foundation. “We are particularly impressed by UP Partnership’s commitment to data-informed practices, and we look forward to seeing the impact of this collaboration—not just in Bexar County, but as a model for other communities across the state.”
This grant will support the development of a robust data infrastructure to better serve students across the seven Future Ready School Districts — East Central ISD, Edgewood ISD, Harlandale ISD, Judson ISD, Northside ISD, San Antonio ISD and Southwest ISD — by strengthening collaboration between K-12 schools and higher education institutions. By aligning Future Ready advising strategies with improved data systems, this investment will:
Expand district-level data capacity to support college and career advising.
Provide real-time insights to help educators guide students toward postsecondary success.
Enhance the use of postsecondary data to inform strategic enrollment planning at colleges and universities.
Enable targeted interventions for students at risk of not enrolling or completing their postsecondary education.
“By fostering stronger alignment between school districts and higher education institutions, we can ensure that all young people in Bexar County have access to the tools and opportunities they need to navigate the postsecondary education landscape,” said Dr. Emily Calderón Galdeano, UP Partnership’s Interim CEO. “This grant allows us to strengthen Future Ready strategies, ensuring that every young person in our community has a clear pathway to success.”
About Trellis Foundation
Trellis Foundation advances equitable educational opportunities in Texas by supporting postsecondary programs, practices and systems that reduce disparities and lead to success for low-income students and students of color. More information is available at www.trellisfoundation.org.
Read the inaugural Future Ready Annual Report
JANUARY 2025
advancing future ready work
UP Partnership and Future Ready Anchor Partners have developed a delivery plan that aligns efforts with key metrics to reach 100,000 students. The plan’s 12 strategies incorporate the Future Ready pillars of Healing, Access and Voice, along with the essential System Supports. This strategic approach aims to braid the efforts across the My Brother’s Keeper San Antonio, Diplomás and Excel Beyond the Bell San Antonio networks, and the improvement collaboratives Restorative Practices Academy, Equitable Enrollment Collaborative and Excel Academy.
Fiesta medal design contest
In an effort to include youth voice, UP Partnership is hosting a youth-led Fiesta Medal design competition.
Prompt: Design a medal that depicts what it means to be Future Ready. Learn more at futurereadysa.org
Medals can be designed as either a circle or rectangle, both one sided and up to 2 inches in height and width. Designs must be made using the colors linked in our brand guide and be in a vector file format (svg or eps).
Artists may include up to two designs per submission. But each artist may only submit once, so review your work carefully! Submit your work to bit.ly/2025Design.
Happy Holidays from UP Partnership
DECEMBER 2024
Grateful for you
As we enter the holiday season, we wanted to thank you all for everything you do as Future Ready Bexar County partners. 2024 was a great year that had many bright spots across the county all led by our collaborative work guided by our pillars of Healing, Access and Voice. Together, we are working together to reach our North Star goal of increasing the enrollment of Bexar County high school graduates into postsecondary education or credential programs to 70% by 2030!
Fiesta medal design contest
In an effort to include youth voice, UP Partnership is hosting a youth-led Fiesta Medal design competition.
Prompt: Design a medal that depicts what it means to be Future Ready. Learn more at futurereadysa.org
Medals can be designed as either a circle or rectangle, both one sided and up to 2 inches in height and width. Designs must be made using the colors linked in our brand guide and be in a vector file format (svg or eps).
Artists may include up to two designs per submission. But each artist may only submit once, so review your work carefully! Submit your work to bit.ly/2025Design.
Meet UP Partnership’s New Team Members
Meet UP Partnership's New Team Members
To further deepen, strengthen and scale the efforts of the Future Ready Bexar County Plan, UP Partnership has hired several key positions to amplify the initial endeavors of the plan to achieve the North Star goal of increasing postsecondary enrollment among Bexar County high school graduates to 70% by 2030.
The UP Partnership team now includes Chryssa Delgado, Ph.D., Managing Director of Programs, Christina Martinez, Managing Director of Public Engagement, Paul Rodriguez, Ed.D., Director of Policy and Development and Kyra Thomas, Data Manager.
Get to know the New Team Members
Dr. Chryssa Delgado was born in San Antonio but spent her formative years in Pleasanton and Austin. As the daughter of retired state employees, she witnessed firsthand the transformative power of education in breaking the cycle of poverty.
Chryssa went on to earn her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Master of Public Administration from St. Mary’s University, as well as her Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership from the University of Texas of Texas at San Antonio.
In addition to her academic and professional pursuits, she devotes time coaching a select softball team consisting of students in grades 6-8, the targeted population of the Future Ready North Star goal.
As a former Future Ready partner, Chryssa was drawn to the work of UP Partnership because of the organization’s ability to attract and retain accomplished professionals and industry experts as partners in the work being done within the Future Ready plan. She was excited to bring her extensive experience in higher education and college recruitment in Bexar County to the organization, further enriching its capacity for innovation and collaboration.
Her advice to all is to “find a mentor, sponsor and coach and use them as continued resources throughout your professional career journey.”
Christina Martinez is a native of San Antonio and is the daughter of urban public-school teachers who instilled in her a deep appreciation for the transformative power of education as a force for social change. As the mother of three, she shares her life with her family, including many pets – dogs, a cat, a bearded dragon and backyard chickens. She enjoys spending time outdoors, whether tending to the yard or exploring local trails by bike.
With a lifelong commitment to youth development, Christina was drawn to the mission of UP Partnership, which aligns with her passion for harnessing the collective impact of Bexar County’s resources to drive positive outcomes for the community’s young people.
Christina’s advice to all is to just do it! “By taking the first step and tackling challenges head-on, we can build momentum and confidence, while acknowledging that the perceived complexity of a task is far greater than the actual effort required to complete it.”
Dr. Paul Rodriguez is a San Antonio native and current resident of Lavaca/Southtown. He graduated from Churchill High School before going on to receive his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Notre Dame and his doctorate degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio. In his free time, he enjoys cycling and watching professional soccer, including Arsenal and Champions League matches.
Paul was drawn to UP Partnership through his previous work at Future Ready partner greater:SATX. His experience deepened his understanding of the critical role education plays in driving economic growth and workforce development in Bexar County, recognizing that UP Partnership offered a unique opportunity to create lasting, sustaining impact in the community.
His advice to all, regarding career exploration, is to “find your purpose, not your passion.”
Kyra Thomas earned her bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Services from the University of Texas at Austin and her master’s degree in Social Policy Evaluations from Rice University with a focus on quantitative evaluation methods and statistical modeling. With a background in project management, she has consistently demonstrated her commitment to driving positive change through her work.
Kyra was drawn to UP Partnership’s comprehensive approach to community development, which prioritizes the equity pillars of Healing, Access and Voice throughout the work the networks and collaboratives do to drive meaningful change through a holistic understanding of young people’s needs.
Her advice to all is to remember “things come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.”