In a significant step towards reinforcing the humanities and supporting student transitions from community college to university, El Paso Community College (EPCC) and the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) have unveiled the latest cohort of Mellon Student Fellows for the 2025–2026 academic year. This fellowship is a key component of the Humanities Collaborative at EPCC-UTEP, a program established in 2017 with support from a grant by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and designed to cultivate academic development and career readiness among students in the humanities.
Among the new fellows, according to EPCC News, are Jaime Sparks, Paola Dominguez, Ivy Marie Gonzalez, Miriam Hernandez, Cristian Pariente Avila, Rudy Madrid, Pedro Ceniceros, Selena Valadez, and Jesus Briseno. Each fellow will have the opportunity to work closely with faculty mentors, engaging in research, community projects, and enhancing their academic skills over the academic year.
The program boasts a high success rate, with over 92% of students transferring and completing their educational goals. Throughout the fellowship, students are matched with esteemed faculty members from both EPCC and UTEP, including Dr. Melissa Esmacher, Dr. Manuela Gomez, among others, who will mentor them in disciplines ranging from English to philosophy and the arts. Margie Nelson Rodríguez, EPCC Professor of English and co-principal investigator of the grant, highlighted the impact of the program, stating, "Students get paid to research, to engage with the community, and to communicate purposefully," as per EPCC News.
Testimonies from current fellows point to the benefits of the fellowship. Selena Valadez, an EPCC English major and soon-to-be UTEP student mentioned, “I think this helps students transition easier, and I love that we have support at both campuses.” Meanwhile, Miriam Hernandez expressed her enthusiasm, saying, “It has helped me get over my stage fright. I'm really excited to start this fellowship." The fellows' statements were obtained by EPCC News in interviews highlighting their upcoming involvement in the program.
