Natalie Salazar
At 17 years old, Natalie was all set up to be a statistic - another teenage mother who wouldn't finish high school or go to college. She proved everyone wrong by graduating from high school, getting married and, while raising her first son, enrolling at Richland College.
In three short years, Natalie had graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in Spanish from the University of North Texas (UNT) while pregnant with her second son. A little more than a year later, Natalie completed the coursework for a master's degree in education at UNT and did her student teaching while pregnant with her third son. She graduated cum laude with a master's degree just four years after having her first baby.
Natalie's honors include the National Dean's List in 2000-01 and 2001-02; the UNT President's Honor Roll in Fall 2001 and Spring 2002; Sigma Delta Pi (National Hispanic Collegiate Honor Society) at UNT, 2001-02; President of Sigma Delta Pi at UNT, 2002-03; and Kappa Delta Pi (Educators Honor Society) at UNT, 2002-03.
Even while raising a young family and pursuing her education, Natalie has always given back to the community. She coached a YWCA volleyball team, was an assistant leader for a Girl Scout troop, helped with a Christmas toy drive for low-income Hispanic families and is an active member of several committees with the Bowie Elementary School PTA.
For now, Natalie is a stay-at-home mom raising her three young boys. She started her own photography business in April 2005, but Natalie plans to teach Spanish on the community college level someday. She credits Richland College with nurturing the foundation that led her to believe she could succeed.