Sonia Madrid

Graduate, M.Ed. in Literacy Education
Sonia Madrid's family migrated to El Paso from Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, when she was in elementary school. She graduated from Del Valle High School in 1995 and earned a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies in Bilingual Education in 2000 from UTEP. She felt a need to learn about different ways of developing literacy in English Language Learners (ELLs) and native English speakers, and worked as a teacher in both monolingual and bilingual settings for twelve years.
Sonia graduated in Fall 2022.
Why she enrolled in the program:
I had begun a master’s program in 2001. Work, family, and [having to drive] to class late at night [led to me taking] a break and wait to continue. After having twins and [spending] time away from academic work, I thought it would be difficult to restart after so long. In 2021, I looked at online learning as a way to continue what I had begun 20 years before.
Her experience with online learning:
It has been challenging to adapt to learning online. I prefer traditional learning settings where I can receive immediate feedback and interact with peers. [But] the program design has given me the flexibility and time to learn at my convenience, which has made this experience worthwhile.
It has been amazing to see how dedicated and knowledgeable the professors in the program are with the students. My questions are always addressed and there is always someone in the program or University willing to help and available.
On whether she would enroll in this program again if he had to do things over:
Yes! Online learning is allowing me to finish after 20 years.
What she would say to prospective online students:
Even though the challenges of being online may be intimidating, it challenged my learning and I feel confident in what I have learned. I did encounter less obstacles than traditional learning, since I was working within my schedule and the professors were there to invest in my learning.