The journey behind the degrees

Karla was raised in Edinburg by parents who came from humble beginnings and built everything they had through hard work. Her father owned Hector's Barbershop for more than 50 years. Her mother operated Little People Daycare. Between the barber chair and the daycare door, their family served generations of Edinburg neighbors.

Growing up in those family businesses, Karla learned lessons no classroom could teach: show up early, treat every person with dignity, and measure success by the people you serve.

One year after graduating from Edinburg High School, Karla became a mother. She refused to choose between her child and her education, so she carried both. She studied while raising a baby, and every step forward from that point was taken for her family as much as for herself.

Karla earned her bachelor's degree in Bilingual Education from The University of Texas Pan American. She chose a field that reflected her community: students who live and learn in two languages deserve teachers who understand both.

Karla began her career in the classroom, working directly with students and families. Over the years she has served in roles that deepened her understanding of how schools work, how decisions affect classrooms, and how much depends on the people doing the daily work of teaching.

Wanting to serve beyond a single classroom, Karla earned a Master of Education in Educational Administration. The degree prepared her to understand budgets, operations, personnel, and instructional leadership: the very responsibilities a school board oversees.

Karla raised three children while teaching and continuing her own education. Late nights of coursework followed full days of work and family life. She knows exactly what Edinburg's working families juggle, because she has lived it.

In 2025, Karla completed her Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership. The doctorate was the summit of a climb that began at Edinburg High School and never stopped. It stands as proof of what she believes for every student: dreams are within reach when someone refuses to quit on them.

Today, Karla's family has grown to a family of eight, including two grandchildren. Family remains the center of her life and the reason behind her service. When she talks about Edinburg's children, she is talking about a future her own grandchildren will share.

Karla knows Edinburg CISD from every side: as a student who graduated from it, as an educator who worked in classrooms, as a mother who raised children through it, and as a neighbor whose family has served this community for generations.

She understands the classroom and the boardroom, the budget line and the lunch line. That combination of lived experience, professional training, and deep local roots is what she will bring to Place 2.