Cohort Profile

Prakash Mansinghani

Professor and Chair, Department of Social Sciences, Laredo College Laredo, TX  

I began my academic journey on a nontraditional path, earning a GED instead of a high school diploma. That experience taught me perseverance, humility, and the transformative power of education. From there, I became a first-generation college student, earning degrees in Political Science from Texas A&M International University. Now, as I pursue a doctoral degree, I reflect on how that journey from GED to doctoral studies shaped both my identity as a scholar and my calling as an educator and leader. 

My professional career has been rooted in higher education, where I currently serve as a Professor of Government, Chair of the Department of Social Sciences, and a Lead Faculty member for the Center of Teaching Excellence & Learning at Laredo College. In these roles, I have focused on pedagogical innovation, faculty development, and curriculum reform, always guided by the belief that education should help students transform their passions into vocations that enrich their lives and communities. 

This commitment to equity and leadership has drawn me to the Executive Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership at the University of Texas at Austin. The program’s practitioner-based model, in-person instruction, emphasis on social justice, and progressive curriculum reflect my values and goals. UT Austin’s world-class faculty and focus on innovation will allow me to deepen my ability to address systemic challenges and lead institutional change in ways that prioritize access and student success. 

My research centers on Open Educational Resources (OER) and “curriculum infusion”—integrating OER into academic programs to lower costs, improve pedagogy, and build sustainable models of equity-driven innovation. By advancing this work, I aspire to serve as an agent of change in higher education leadership, ensuring that future generations of students not only pursue their passions but also find meaningful vocations that transform their lives and communities. 

Jimmi Nicholson

Director of Pipeline Development and Outreach, UT Austin School of Law

My journey through higher education has been anything but linear. Born into a low-income, extended family in the Broadmoor area of New Orleans, I was raised by a single, teenage mother who dropped out of high school before later earning her GED and a certificate in early childhood education. My grandmother, who had only a fifth-grade education, wore her pristine white uniform every day as she worked in the homes of wealthy families to provide for us. Watching their sacrifices taught me early on that education was the key to breaking the cycle of poverty — for me, for my family, and for generations to come. 

I am forever grateful that both my grandmother and mother recognized my academic talent early and ensured I had every opportunity to prepare for college, build a successful career, and pursue a better life. Through programs like the Louisiana State University Explorer Program, Dillard University’s Concentrated Academic Program, and the TRIO Programs, I discovered my love for learning and envisioned a future where my education would not end with a bachelor’s degree. I dreamed of earning a terminal degree and using it to open doors for others like me. 

My passion for higher education began to take shape as an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin–Parkside. As a midwestern transplant and a woman of color coming from the rich cultural fabric of New Orleans, I was suddenly immersed in a less diverse city, classroom, and campus environment. Although challenging, this shift pushed me out of my comfort zone and ignited an intense curiosity about how universities build community, foster belonging, and support student success. I became highly engaged on campus, and with encouragement from my hall director and later my graduate school professors, I realized that my future wasn’t just about my own education; it was about helping others access theirs. 

I started my career in higher education through Residence Life and Student Affairs. I have always believed that every senior administrator should spend time in residence life because it is where theory meets practice. In that environment, I saw firsthand the diverse needs of students and how university policies can significantly affect their lives. However, most of my professional experience has been in law school admissions, a field I entered humbly and have since thrived in. 

Serving as head of admissions at a flagship law school and later as the Director of Pipeline Development and Outreach at a top 20 law school, all without a J.D. or terminal degree, I have had the privilege of shaping not only admissions classes but also the trajectories of students’ lives. For low-income students, students battling self-doubt, and those daring to beat the odds, I have been more than an administrator; I have been a mentor, an advocate, and a constant reminder that they, too, belong. My role has enabled me to witness the transformative power of opportunity. Once unsure of their potential, they have gained admission, thrived in law school, graduated, and are in successful careers.  

Ironically, even as I encouraged countless students to persevere, I faced my own setbacks. Despite my accomplishments, I experienced rejection from multiple doctoral programs. Those moments were deeply humbling but also clarifying. I realized that my journey, much like those of the students I champion, was never going to be easy, but it was also far from over. 

It was during a conversation with Dr. Samuel Riley, an alumnus of the University of Texas at Austin Executive EdD Program and a fellow law school admissions colleague familiar with my story, that I found renewed hope. He reminded me of my own mantra, delayed, not denied, and encouraged me to consider the Texas EdD in Higher Education and Leadership as a place where my lived experiences, professional expertise, and passion for student success would not only be valued but amplified. He was right: the Texas program is not just a better fit; it is the right fit. 

As I reflect on my journey, I see a consistent thread, a deep commitment to equity, access, and empowerment in education. My work in law school admissions and pipeline development has already impacted countless lives, but I know there is more to do. Pursuing the Texas EdD represents not just the next step in my career but a personal promise to continue dismantling barriers, opening doors, and changing the trajectories of students who, like me, dared to believe that their circumstances would not define their destinies. 

Delayed, not denied. That has been my story, and I am ready to turn this next chapter into a powerful testament to what is possible when passion meets perseverance. 

Christopher Rzigalinski, B.A., M.A., Ed.D. (Expected 2028) 

Service-Learning & Community Engagement Specialist at Austin Community College 

I knew I made the right choice to enroll in the Executive Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership and Policy program at the University of Texas-Austin the moment I sat down at orientation. It was a long journey to get to that moment, 10 years after declining admission to a Ph.D. program in Performance Studies and walking away from adjuncting positions in American Studies and English at a university. I thought I was going to be exiting academia forever. But the intervening decade gave me personal and professional experiences to help me actualize the life-altering potential of the unique practitioner-focused program that Drs. Wilcox and Nava developed. 

Becoming an effective 21st Century leader in higher education demands compassion, genuine curiosity, willingness to break silos, and a service mindset. Dr. Clement Price, my mentor, taught me that educational interventions, social justice advocacy, and knowledge of history are the foundational tools for responsible community engagement. I sharpened these tools during my time away from higher education as an organizational team-building coach, a freelance journalist, a music curator and cultural historian, a meditation instructor, a museologist utilizing yoga philosophy to make museum collections more inclusive, and an acolyte of improv comedy. The improv mantra “Yes, and” helped me tie together those disparate threads, inspiring me to continually ask how I can take the situations I’m given and find ways to make them better. Moreover, this experience that was only possible with distance from higher education helped me rediscover my passions for student development, curricular innovation, and service-oriented programming.   

I chose the Executive Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership and Policy program because I knew it would challenge me with academic rigor, in-person energy, and unparalleled  professional development opportunities. For me, there was no better place to do this work than in Austin, a microcosm of global politics, culture, and educational issues. I’m excited to see where my experience at UT guides me. Whether I end up rising through the community college ranks or find myself returning to university spaces, I’m confident that the Ed.D. program is preparing me for not only a successful career in higher education, but to cultivate a transformative vocation. I will remain forever grateful for the ways in which the experience is bringing me closer and closer to the human being I am destined to become.