Hernandez, a member of the inaugural TX-EPFP cohort, passed away in June.
Texas Education Policy Fellowship Program (TX-EPFP), a professional development initiative coordinated by the Texas Tech University College of Education, has established a memorial scholarship endowment in honor of Ray Hernandez, a graduate of the program who passed away earlier this year.
The endowment will provide scholarships covering the full cost of TX-EPFP program fees for College of Education graduate students who are interested in joining the program and carrying on the work of Ray and other fellows in advancing informed and equitable education policy in Texas. To learn more about the endowment and make a donation, visit the TX-EPFP website.
“Ray was a passionate educator and advocate, as well as a highly engaged fellow and alumnus,” said Rebecca Hite, co-director of TX-EPFP. “He dedicated his work and research to bridging the gap between high school and college for underserved students. We hope this scholarship fund will carry on his legacy of light and leadership and help empower others like Ray to effect meaningful educational reforms in their own communities.”
Hernandez, a member of the inaugural 2019-2020 TX-EPFP cohort, worked as director of high school programs at Alamo Colleges District in San Antonio and was committed to enhancing transfer-based pathways for secondary students to ease the transition from high school to community college. He passed away June 9, 2021, after dedicating more than 30 years to the field of education.
TX-EPFP is a nine-month, intensive professional development program for emerging and mid-level leaders in education and education related-fields. The program provides rich and robust experiences to both educate and empower participants in their work for sound education policy and practice in Texas. Fellows participate in a variety of activities – including leadership events in Austin and Washington, D.C. – to enhance their knowledge of education policy, build leadership skills and expand professional networks.
TX-EPFP operates under the auspices of the national Education Policy Fellowship Program in Washington, D.C., which is sponsored by IEL and oversees fellowship programs in 17 states and the District of Columbia. The Texas site is coordinated by the College of Education at Texas Tech and was established in 2019. TX-EPFP welcomed its third cohort in September.