SLIS students named ALA Spectrum Scholars

Sept. 8, 2026 — DENTON — Two TWU graduate students in the School of Library and Information Studies have been selected for the American Library Association’s prestigious Spectrum Scholarship Program, recognizing their commitment to community building and leadership.

Ana Garza and Erika Vásquez, both students in TWU’s Master of Library Science/Master of Science in Health Studies dual-degree program, are among 60 students nationwide selected as 2026-27 Spectrum Scholars. Competition was fierce this year as the program received four times as many applications as available scholarships.

For Garza, the recognition was unexpected and motivating.

“I was surprised and incredibly excited to have won the scholarship,” Garza said. “With so many talented and accomplished applicants, I did not expect to be selected.”

Garza, who works as a speech-language pathologist assistant, hopes to combine her experience in health care with her graduate education in library and information science. Her goal is to help students, scholars, health professionals and patients access and understand information they need and ultimately contribute to improved patient care.

Her path to graduate school was shaped by a longstanding interest in learning and helping underserved communities. After completing her bachelor’s degree six years ago, she returned to school to pursue her master’s degrees.

“I will be the first one in my family to work for a master’s degree, especially a dual degree,” Garza said.

For Vásquez, the news came unexpectedly during a summer beach vacation.

“Shock. I knew the odds of earning the award were extremely low, because of how many people apply and the fact that it’s a national organization,” Vásquez said. “I was so shocked, I couldn't believe it.”

Vásquez discovered librarianship and information science during a gap year after completing her undergraduate degree. While she had once planned to become a physician, she realized she could combine her interest in health science with her growing passion for librarianship.

“I learned that I didn’t have to let go of that part of my past dream entirely, but combine it with my new interest in librarianship,” Vásquez said. “It was a career I had never considered for myself before, but that I grew more excited about the more I learned.”

As a future health librarian, Vásquez hopes to help health professionals and researchers to navigate and use health information to advance research, influence policy and improve health.

“Health librarians navigate vast worlds of health information, and guide others through it,” she said. “It is work that is very logical yet often creative, and I can’t wait to see where it takes me.”

A first-generation graduate student whose parents came to the United States from El Salvador, Vásquez said her family instilled in her the importance of education despite limited opportunities to pursue their own schooling.

“My family has always believed in me and supported me, even in moments where I couldn’t,” Vásquez said. “My parent’s lives and stories will never fail to inspire me and motivate me to keep going and work hard for my dreams.”

Page last updated 5:23 PM, September 8, 2026