Leonora Martinez Coreano
Student, Master of Multidisciplinary Studies
Leonora Martinez Coreano is a lifelong El Pasoan, first-generation Latina college graduate and mother. Education was not a priority for her family or childhood peers, but she always dreamed of studying law after her undergraduate studies. In pursuit of this dream, Leonora worked as a paralegal and office manager for 13 years and gained the technical writing and legal analytical skills which became the foundation for her career in higher education.
She graduated from UTEP with a Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies in 2006 and then worked as the Business Manager for the Vice President for Business Affairs at UTEP until 2010, using her legal knowledge and expertise in working with University contracts and public information requests. In 2010, she became the Program Manager for UTEP's Center for Law and Human Behavior, an FBI grant-funded position which provided opportunities to meet with students and faculty from all over the world. Leonora expanded her grant management, research administration and budgeting skills to assist faculty throughout the University. She is now the Project Manager for the NIH UTEP FIRST grant, which aims at fostering sustainable cultural change within the institution while making major strides in Hispanic Health Disparities in the El Paso community and our border region.
In March 2023, Leonora completed her Graduate Certificate in Technical and Professional Writing and is now enrolled in the Master of Multidisciplinary Studies (MMDS) with an emphasis in Public Administration. The MMDS, with its ability to stack certificates, flexibility and customizable degree design, is the next step in Leonora's dream of earning a master's degree and being a positive example for her son. She expects to graduate in Fall 2025.
Why she enrolled in the program:
Based on my 17 years of professional work experience in higher education, I would like to complete 18 credit hours of complementary courses in Public Administration to further my professional development and provide a greater contribution to my employer. The coursework will allow me to strengthen my existing skill set while providing me with the framework to advance my career.
Her experience with online learning:
This is not my first experience with online learning. In March 2023, I completed my Graduate Certificate in Professional and Technical Writing at UTEP with a 3.75 GPA. That certificate greatly enhanced my writing skill set and I was able to immediately apply my coursework to my day-to-day. I enjoyed developing a concept, methodology and measures while writing a grant as part of my class requirements. During my entire career as a Program Manager, I assisted faculty with packaging their grants for submission; however, I never had the unique opportunity to write my own grant. The assignment gave me greater insight and understanding of the writing process and time management. I hope to have the opportunity to write and submit a grant sometime in the future with the research faculty I am currently assisting.
On how this degree has played a part in her employment:
My education and work experience has allowed me to apply my real-world experience and education to my coursework. During my career, I have gained analytic and programmatic skills which will help me approach my coursework with a more thoughtful and out-of-box mindset.
On whether she has the support she needs:
I have tremendous support from both my family and UTEP family. There isn’t anything I wish I had. I feel very fortunate to have financial support to complete this phase of my education.
What she would say to prospective online students:
I started my graduate studies late in life. However, it is never too late to start this program. I feel like I immediately applied the material I was learning in class to work.
On whether she would enroll in this program again if she had to do things over:
The only thing I would do differently would be to begin my studies sooner. It’s never too late to start and the program has provided me with the knowledge and skills I can immediately apply to my career.
Most importantly, as a first-generation Hispanic female college student, I would like to show my son that education is achievable no matter where you come from and no matter what you have faced during your lifetime.
