Dr. RobertaLealhas over 30 years of volunteer service in the Greater Houston Area impacting thousands of families by advocating for access to quality social services, navigating the healthcare system, anddesigning quality culturally responsive educational programming. Roberta attended the University of Houston where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Nonprofit Professional Certification. She began her career in youth services with BakerRipley in Pasadena and eventually transitioned to provide case-management services for over 13-years with Communities In Schools Southeast Harris County. A few years into her career, Roberta returned to U of H for Masters and Doctoral degrees in Social Work. Her personal values and professional goals have kept her close to the field of education as she has spent the last 16 years in higher education with UH and UH-Clear Lake teaching social work undergraduate and graduate level courses. Robertacontinues to beactively engagedinmentoring, community-based participatory research, community advocacyand servicethroughout Harris County. Most important to Roberta, is her family’s commitment and passion for social justice, advocacy for rights of migrant families, and access to professional and educational opportunities for first-generation students.