Current Position:

Karla leads strategic planning and daily operations of the Institutional Engagement portfolio, ensuring smooth and effective collaboration across the organization. Working closely with the Vice President of Institutional Engagement, Karla oversees a team dedicated to engaging and sustaining a dynamic network of institutional affiliates committed to student success. Karla plays a critical role in fostering cross-functional partnerships, aligning institutional efforts, and optimizing staff resources to deliver high-impact engagement strategies that elevate institutional practice and drive meaningful outcomes for institutions within the Excelencia in Action network.

Past Experiences:

Karla is a seasoned higher education leader with decades of experience driving student success, enrollment growth, and institutional partnerships. Most recently, she served as Interim Vice President for Enrollment Management at the University of Houston-Victoria (UHV), where she held several leadership roles over eight years, including Assistant Provost for Distance Learning and Sr. Director of Enrollment Management and External Affairs. Throughout her tenure, she championed initiatives to expand access to higher education for underrepresented populations—particularly adult learners and Latino students—and helped grow the university’s presence in the Greater Houston area by forging key partnerships with community colleges and corporate partners. Prior to UHV, she led community partnership and enrollment efforts for the University of Phoenix across Greater Houston and South Texas. Her leadership has been recognized nationally by the National Diversity Council, the Council for Latino Workplace Equity, and locally through honors such as Houston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 and the DiversityFIRST Award.

Why are you bringing your talent to Excelencia?

I migrated from Guatemala City at age 12 and, like many first-generation students, found the path to college difficult to navigate. Earning my doctorate degree was only possible because of the mentors and leaders who helped remove barriers along the way. Meeting Excelencia Co-founder Deborah Santiago, I was inspired by her passion to transform higher education to better support students like me. I feel deeply aligned with Excelencia’s mission to elevate institutions that are not only enrolling Latino students, but truly serving them with intention and impact.

How would you describe working at Excelencia?

Working at Excelencia has been an incredibly rewarding experience. What stands out most is the passion and commitment of the team. The intentionality behind everything the founders and leadership do is inspiring. They've created a culture where we all speak with one voice to amplify our shared mission and vision to intentionally SERVE Latino students. It’s clear how respected and impactful Excelencia is on a national level, and being part of that legacy is both humbling and energizing.