Three Texas State graduate students recognized as Caminos Fellows

Three Texas State University students in the College of Applied Arts have been named U.S. Department of Agriculture Caminos Fellows for 2019. 

Armando Olivas, Kasandra Perez and Megan Zamora were named Caminos Fellows for their performance in the Caminos Thesis Competition in Food and Agricultural Sciences. The American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) in partnership with Texas State, promotes the annual Caminos Thesis Competition. Competitors' theses are evaluated based on depth of research analysis, methodology and relativity to current global issues.

Kasandra Perez

Kasandra Perez is a second-year human nutrition graduate student at Texas State. She graduated from Texas State with a B.S. in nutrition and foods with a concentration in dietetics. As an undergraduate, she served her communities by assisting in meal preparation for food-insecure children and the general population in San Marcos and Laredo. In addition, Perez was elected to represent Texas State at the 2017 Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Annual Conference and Exhibition. Perez's interest in the field of nutrition is extensive and includes the application of nutrition to enhance athletic performance, prevent disease and promote wellness in individuals and families of all backgrounds. As a graduate research assistant under the Caminitos Collaborative, she conducts research on the impact of nutrition on early childhood education and has presented her findings at the Early Childhood Coalition of Hays County’s Early Childhood Summit. 

Armando Olivas

Armando Olivas is a first-generation college student from San Antonio. In 2017, he graduated from Texas State with a B.S. in family and consumer sciences, majoring in nutrition with a concentration in dietetics. As an undergraduate, Olivas earned multiple awards acknowledging academic excellence, maintained a 4.0 GPA and was involved in promoting healthy dietary practices with the Student Nutrition Organization. His interest in the field of nutrition includes sports dietetics, nutrition’s impact on carcinogenesis and cancer progression, as well as efforts to mitigate global hunger and food insecurity.

Megan Zamora

Megan Zamora, a graduate student in nutrition at Texas State, is a first-generation college student from San Antonio. She earned her B.S. in biology from Texas State in 2016. As an undergraduate, Zamora’s interest in nutrition and an active lifestyle influenced her decision to pursue a master’s degree in nutrition. She said she believes a healthful diet and an active lifestyle can resolve many of the United States’ problems with chronic disease and obesity. As a graduate student, she conducts research in an obesity and cancer laboratory under principal investigator Ramona Salcedo-Price.

About the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education 

The AAHHE is an agent of change for improving education, thus enabling Hispanic students to fully participate in a diverse society. AAHHE works collaboratively with all sectors of education, business, industry, as well as community and professional organizations to enhance the educational aspirations and to meet the needs of a significantly increasing Hispanic population.