Bio: Thomas is an educator, writer, entrepreneur, and public servant from Pharr, Texas. He is the founder of CSLAP and currently serves as chair of the board of directors.

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Thomas graduated from PSJA North High School in 2012 as class valedictorian. He attended Princeton University where he co-founded the Princeton Hidden Minority Council, an award-winning organization servicing first-generation and low-income students, and wrote student blogs for the Office of Undergraduate Admission.

 

A Gates Millennium Scholar, Teach For America Rising Leaders Fellow, and Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow, Thomas has combined his experiences in academic research with hands-on pedagogy. In 2016, he graduated Princeton as an English major with interests in literary criticism, post-secondary education studies, and creative writing. He earned 2 master's degrees in English and Higher Education Administration from UCLA and UTRGV, respectively.

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At Princeton University, Thomas received the Ward Mathis Short Story Prize for his U.S.-Mexico borderlands fiction. He is the award-winning author of The River Runs: Stories and the co-author of the historical memoir, El Curso de la Raza: The Education of Aurelio Manuel Montemayor. He has also self-published a children’s picture book, Speechless, to empower young Latinos to practice public speaking.

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Thomas founded CSLAP in 2013 and returned to Pharr every summer to host institutes for high school seniors. As a high school teacher, he created and taught the University Scholars Enrichment Course, an extension of CSLAP, at PSJA ISD. In 2019, Thomas incorporated CSLAP as a 501(c)3 nonprofit to teach college access lessons at RGV high schools, connect students to near-peer mentors, and partner with community organizations to increase college enrollment and graduation rates.

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In 2022, Thomas ran for Texas State Board of Education, District 2. He placed third in the 5-way Democratic primary, earning a national endorsement from Run For Something and statewide endorsements from Texas AFL-CIO and Texas AFT.

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After spearheading anti-poverty initiatives in the Hidalgo County Judge's Office for one year, Thomas joined the English faculty at South Texas College. He currently teaches at the Mid-Valley campus.​

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Mentoring interests: College admissions, college admissions essays, Apply Texas, Common Application, national scholarships, ACT test prep, college transition, professional development

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