OLLU alumna Maria Hernandez Ferrier, EdD (BA 1978, MEd 1981), founding and President Emeritus of Texas A&M-San Antonio, will serve as the keynote speaker at fall commencement ceremonies on Thursday at 5 p.m. at Freeman Coliseum.
The former Director General of Mexico relations for the Texas A&M University system, Dr. Ferrier has a remarkable history of accomplishment and service.
In 1990, President George H. Bush appointed her as the Department of Education’s Director of Bilingual Education, and in 1992, appointed her to the Commission of National and Community Service. In 2002, President George W. Bush appointed Dr. Ferrier as Assistant Deputy Secretary for the Office of English Language Acquisition.
She is the founder of the San Antonio Chapter of City Year, the national service organization that became the model for AmeriCorps.
In 1991 President George H. Bush designated the Kelly Air Force Base-Southwest Independent School District Mentorship program, that Dr. Ferrier co-created, as the 242nd Point of Light.
In 2021 the Texas Supreme Court appointed Dr. Ferrier to the Texas State Bar.
Dr. Ferrier was inducted into the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame and has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber’s Lifetime Achievement Award; San Antonio University Roundtable’s “Best and Brightest;” the Hispanic Heritage Award from the U.S. Department of Labor; the Imagineer Award from the Mind Science Foundation; and the U.S. Department of Education’s National Hispanic Achiever Award.
Dr. Ferrier earned a Bachelor of Arts in Speech and a Master of Education in Guidance and Counseling from Our Lady of the Lake University. She holds a Doctorate in Educational Administration from Texas A&M University-College Station.