Nancy Garcia

Dr. Garcia joined the Department of Communication in 2017. She received a B.S. in Mass Communications/ Advertising/PR from West Texas A&M University in 2009, an M.A. in Mass Communications from Texas Tech University in 2011, and an Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration in 2017, also from Texas Tech University. Dr. Garcia’s courses include International Journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Media Writing, New Media, and Quantitative Methods. Dr. Garcia is also the faculty advisor for The Prairie, the university’s news organization. Dr. Garcia’s research interests include issues in journalism such as the first amendment and freedom of the press, fact-checking, censorship, and attacks on the press. In addition, Dr. Garcia is interested in researching tacit knowledge transference and retention in organizations.

Changing times, support raise aspirations for youth in The Barrio in Amarillo

By Nancy Garcia | June 10, 2021

On the glass coffee table, with her favorite issues of the Golf Magazine, she finally finds the book.

“It focuses more on the now. Some people I recognize, some people I don’t”, said Maria Guerrero, whose dad immigrated from Mexico. “It gives you a start on the historical aspect of El Barrio.”

The Barrio, which in Spanish means neighborhood, was developed in Amarillo, Texas, to house railroad workers brought to the U.S. from Mexico. It is full of history, culture, and family stories.

“The focus was always the thought that we were going to grow up, finish school and get married and raise families,” Guerrero said. “So that kind of cut my education, higher education short”.

The pressure to marry came from her mother. The high school counselors didn’t help.

“I lacked that initial push,” she said.