Texas A&M’s Héctor Rivera Receives Congressional Award

Honored for his contributions to teaching, public service, and guiding students to achieve excellence, Texas A&M University’s Dr. Héctor Rivera received the Congressional Award’s 2019 Education Champion Award during ceremonies Saturday (May 4) in Dallas.

Rivera, associate professor of educational psychology in the College of Education and Human Development at Texas A&M, was presented the award at the Dallas Museum of Arts.

The Congressional Award is the U.S. Congress’ only charity and is the highest honor bestowed upon a civilian through the Senate and the House of Representatives. Established by Congress in 1979, the program recognizes initiative, service and achievement.

The award was presented in conjunction with the Fort Worth Independent School District and its “Pathway to Career for Texas Teens” program which strives to provide opportunities for students such as internships, job training and intergenerational connections within the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

“I am so pleased for Dr. Rivera and proud to have him as a member of our gifted faculty,” Texas A&M President Michael K. Young said.

“His superb scholarship and research, combined with his forward-thinking outreach and mentoring efforts, have improved teacher training here at Texas A&M, as well as at locations around the state and nation. His focus on underrepresented and low-income youth education, in particular, aligns with our land-grant service mission. Congratulations to Dr. Rivera for earning this outstanding honor.”

“This award symbolizes the commitment of Texas A&M University to diversity and community development through the support of its faculty,” Rivera said.

“It also embodies the collaboration with multiple partners (districts, non-profits, and private sector) who have played a key role at improving the educational experience for all children in Texas and beyond. It is an honor to receive this award with an understanding that it takes many partners and collaborators, with a common vision, to achieve what we have achieved together.”

Rivera’s work has been cited for its scholarly quality and he has won education grants totaling $6 million. With these grant awards, he has worked to develop youth academies, parental engagement programs, and teacher academies and institutes in collaboration with districts in Texas and other states. His scholastic work has appeared in books, book chapters, peer-reviewed articles, and state level educational curriculum for Texas, California and Florida.

In addition, his dedication to youth development is exemplified through his collaboration with the Magdaleno Leadership Institute and other partners on the development and implementation of the “Hispanic Youth Symposium,” a four-day event that brought together youth from Texas into a university setting where they learned non-cognitive skills to build their resilience and network towards a college path. Overall, the program impacted more than 600 low-income youth and Rivera and other partners raised almost $10 million in scholarships for these youth to apply and attend a university.

His work is also having an international impact as he has provided youth academies and capacity-building workshops to youth and low-income communities in Peru, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Greenland among Inuit communities.

Read more about The Congressional Award on their website.