For four Ursuline alumnae, the lessons learned on campus have continued to shape their lives long after graduation, from the importance of family and gratitude to having the courage to use their voices and make a difference in their communities.

On Wednesday, September 16, students heard from Nora Campos ’77, Kelsey Brown ’12, Francis Martinez ’15, and Magestad Barragan ’17 during a Hispanic Alumnae Panel celebrating Hispanic heritage and the experiences that have shaped each woman’s journey.

Though their graduation years span four decades, the alumnae discovered that many of their experiences shared a common thread: the lasting influence of an Ursuline education.

“Ursuline allowed me to feel empowered and take risks,” Ms. Campos told students. “You can take the girl out of Ursuline, but never take Ursuline out of the girl. Lessons you learn in high school will still serve you 50 years later.”

Growing up in a large Hispanic family, Ms. Campos learned that family means showing up for one another and understanding that each person is part of something larger than herself. She sees that same sense of belonging in the friendships she formed at Ursuline.

“The sisterhood you form here stays with you,” she said, explaining that even when years pass between seeing classmates, the connection remains.

That idea of showing up for others resonated with Ms. Brown as well. After leaving Dallas for a time, she gained a new appreciation for her large Hispanic family and the way they remain present in one another’s lives.

Ms. Brown also reflected on the Ursuline teachers who helped her become more confident in her own voice. She recalled an assignment in Dr. Megan Griffin’s class that required students to share their writing with others, an experience that pushed her outside her comfort zone and taught her not to be afraid of putting herself out there.

Her advice to students reflected that same freedom to define their own paths.

“You don’t owe anyone a ‘perfect’ Hispanic woman,” Ms. Brown said. “And you can change your mind. What you decide today isn’t what you have to do tomorrow.”

For Ms. Martinez, Ursuline instilled a mindset that continues to influence how she approaches challenges.

“I never think, ‘I can’t do something,’” she said. “Instead, I think, ‘How do I do this?’ Ursuline gave me that.”

She spoke candidly about preparing for college knowing that her family could not simply pay the cost for her. While her parents promised to help her find a way forward, Ursuline reinforced for Ms. Martinez that opportunities were available to her and encouraged her to pursue them.

“Ursuline gave me the added push to go to college and fulfill the goal that I had,” she said. “Ursuline gave me the tools to do that.”

Ms. Martinez also credited her family with teaching her the value of gratitude. Not only for life's biggest opportunities, but for the everyday acts of service that can easily go unnoticed. That perspective connects naturally with Serviam and the responsibility to recognize and serve others.

“At the end of the day, we are here to be good people, live out Serviam, and do good in the world,” she said.

Ms. Barragan similarly carries Serviam into her career as an attorney and into the relationships she builds within her community. She told students that the foundation she developed at Ursuline helped her learn how to build relationships and recognize that she belongs in the room.

Her family, meanwhile, taught her the importance of being someone others can depend on.

“If I say I’m going to go, I go,” Ms. Barragan said. “It’s important that you are not only reliable but stay true to your word.”

After Ursuline and law school, Ms. Barragan found herself navigating professional spaces where few people shared her background. The confidence she developed at Ursuline helped prepare her for those moments.

“I was empowered to know that I belong by my time at Ursuline,” she said.

Her message to current students was simple: “Be authentically you. Take up space. Let your voice be known.”

Across generations and experiences, each alumna returned to the values that continue to connect her to Ursuline: the courage to embrace opportunity, the responsibility to show up for others, and a sense of belonging that extends well beyond the years spent on campus.

Ms. Campos perhaps captured that enduring influence most simply in her advice to students: “Don’t be afraid. Take the chance.”

Ms. Martinez echoed that call, reminding students to recognize the generations whose sacrifices helped make their own opportunities possible.

“Take every opportunity you have,” she said. “These opportunities are available because of the sacrifices of those who came before us.”