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Adonay N. Mendoza, B.S.

Adonay Mendoza was born in Houston, Texas but raised in El Salvador. His father brought he and his brother back to the United States to get a sound education at the beginning of his 6th grade year. He remembers having a hard time understanding the new content and teachers because of the language barrier and previous lack of adequate education.

After attending a summer program called Explore 2010 for high school students interested in teaching, he fell in love with Texas A&M University’s traditions and core values. After completing his associate’s degree in 2013, he began his journey at Texas A&M University. On December 18, 2015 he graduated as a first-generation Salvadorean-American from Texas A&M University with a Bachelors of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (EC-6) with a focus on Bilingual Education.

Adonay has worked every summer since coming to A&M for the Center on Disability and Development and AgriLife Extension summer programs. He has worked with Bridge to Career, the Leadership, Employment, and Advocacy Project (LEAP) and the Work and College Opportunities (W.A.C.O) Project, where he has developed another passion for helping students with disabilities transition from high school to postsecondary education and independent living.

As a former student, Adonay knew Texas A&M University was his first choice for working on his Master’s in Special Education. He could not think of a better university where they core values are vivid and alive in everything being done on campus. As an undergraduate, he has the opportunity to meet outstanding professors who are passionate about their field and who genuinely care about their students.

Adonay is currently a 3rd grade dual language teacher in Bryan and working toward his Master’s in Special Education at Texas A&M University.

Seeing some of my classmates struggling because they could not understand some of the things presented, and how patient, loving, and caring teachers were toward them, helped me develop a keen passion for becoming a bilingual teacher.

In response to my “new passion,” I knew I needed to go back to school and get a masters where I could gain knowledge about the practices on how to better support individuals with disabilities and those working with them.

If anyone is thinking or is about to pursue the same path that I am currently doing, I would tell them, “Go for it!” I would tell them that Texas A&M University is the right place to attend to advance their studies. It is a place where they can find their values in those of the University.

Adonay Mendoza

Graduate Student, Special Education