I received my doctorate in History, with a concentration in U.S. Latinx History and minor in Public History, at the University of Houston. During my time in the program, I had the distinct opportunity to work closely with the CPH to produce events and pursue individual research projects, elevating my interests in the scholarly pursuits and career benefits of public history.

My time at the CPH was filled with a series of meaningful and enlightening experiences, including my production of an off-campus event at MECA Houston, editing and writing for Houston History magazine, co-curating a local museum exhibit, and conducting oral histories for coursework and dissertation source materials, to name a few. Beyond these career milestones, I also forged real and meaningful interpersonal relationships with CPH staff, faculty, and fellow grad students—a benefit of the intimacy and collegiality of the program. Working with the CPH allowed me to create public-facing programming, scholarship, and exhibitions that also significantly contributed to my successful job transition as a postdoctoral research scholar at Columbia University. In this capacity, I produced Latinx Studies/History programming for Columbia's Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race, building on work that started in grad school. Currently, I am happily back home in Houston, teaching U.S. and Mexican American History at Houston Community College and working on my book. 

My advice to future public history students is to consider the ways you can bring history to the general public and outside of the university. Indeed, CPH has the advantage of being at the center of the nation's fourth largest city—there's practically no shortage of area histories that could compliment the potentials of an eager, self-motivated graduate student! Try to build meaningful networks with on-campus departments and research institutes, as well as off-campus community organizations and institutions, to consider how you can bridge the academy-to-public divide. Building these skills as a student, particularly at a dynamic and versatile public history program like the CPH, is a fantastic place to gain hands-on experiences and envision a career both within and beyond the academy.