Our Alumni

Liza Abrams

Originally from Henderson, Nevada, Abrams graduated from the M.Ed. Higher Education program in May 2019. She previously worked as the director of undergraduate engagement for Houston Hillel and as of June 2019, works as the membership and adult education coordinator at Congregation Beth Israel in Meyerland.  Congregation Beth Israel is the oldest congregation in the state of Texas at 165 years old!  When asked what she enjoyed most about the M.Ed. program, Abrams shared that she loved having fabulous professors she could learn from and having the opportunity to partake in diverse discussions!   

Marlo Bitter

Originally from East Texas, Bitter is a 2019 graduate of our M.Ed. Higher Education program. She received her BBA in marketing here at the University of Houston in 2001. Marlo currently works at Trinity Valley Community College as the director of marketing and communication, and loved the convenience of being able to complete her course requirements completely online. Marlo is passionate about her work at TVCC and the opportunities that community colleges provide for students who may not otherwise have a chance to attend college. 

Adalia Espinosa

Espinosa is a Houston native and graduate of the M.Ed. Higher Education program. She received her B.S. in Education from University of Texas at Austin and began her career in education as a fourth-grade bilingual teacher in Aldine ISD for 6 years. She is currently serving as a career counselor at the University of Houston. She also serves as a regional officer for Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education (TACHE) and is a proud Comadre mentor for first-generation Latina freshmen at UH. Espinosa is passionate about empowering first-generation and Latinx college students develop the tools, opportunities, and preparation to achieve their career-related goals. 

Yonelly Gutiérrez

Gutiérrez is an alumni our M.Ed. Higher Education program. She received her B.A. in sociology from University of Texas at Austin. She currently works as the program manager for the Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies within the College of Education. When asked what she loves about the program, Yonelly shared that she loves how supportive the faculty are. She truly believes that there is no other program that has faculty as supportive as ours! 

Brent Spraggins

Spraggins is a M.Ed. Higher Education Alum. He graduated from our program in Fall 2018. Brent is originally from Dripping Springs, TX. He received his B.A. in communication studies from Texas Tech University. He currently works here on campus in the Bauer College Business. He plans to further his career in academic advising and student services. While in our program, Brent shared that he enjoyed networking and building relationships with fellow students. He also got the opportunity to participate in a faculty-led learning abroad program to China which will be his most memorable experience. 

Asia Woods

Woods, a Houston native, is an alum of the M.Ed. Higher Education program. She received her B.A. in communication studies from Texas State University. She is currently the assistant director for fraternity and sorority life at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Woods aspires to continue working in fraternity and sorority life throughout her professional career as she believes it is one of the most transformative experiences on a college campus. She credits her current professional role to the University of Houston. The M.Ed. Higher Education program fostered a space for growth, opportunity and equity. Woods was able to receive travel grants to attend national conferences, gain hands on student affairs experience, and expand her network within the field. Her favorite aspect of UH's M.Ed. Higher Education program was the small cohort; the intimate size of her cohort helped foster genuine relationships between classmates and faculty.