Among numerous accolades, she was named to the Top 14 Hispanic Professors in Texas in 2013 and received the Texas Tech President's Excellence in Teaching Award in 2012, which is a tribute to her goal of transforming the classroom into a cross-cultural experience. She received a double associate's degree from the Castella Arts Conservatory in Costa Rica, a double bachelor's degree from Iowa State University as a Fulbright Student, and went on to pursue both her master's degree and Ph.D. in human development and family studies from Auburn University.