Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Lupita Murillo Tinnen.
Hi Dr. Tinnen, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was fortunate enough to have been hired as a full-time faculty member in the Photography Department at the Collin College Plano Campus 16 years ago. As the daughter of Mexican Immigrants, earning a Master of Fine Arts degree to pursue a career in teaching was not very simple for a first-generation high school graduate like me. I am also an artist and the focus of my photographic work is immigrants. After my first year of teaching, my dean at the time recommended me to serve as the faculty advisor for the League of United Latin American Citizens Council #4780. I ended up serving as their advisor for ten years winning multiple national, state, and regional awards along the way and meeting some inspiring Latinx young adults that have moved into careers of their own. During my time as their advisor, we volunteered in the community and helped with multiple projects and resources for underrepresented groups. I also decided to go back to school to pursue a doctorate and Collin College awarded me a scholarship to do so. I never imagined that I could earn a Ph.D., but with the support of my husband and the financial support of my employer, I was able to achieve another dream that I didn’t know was possible. Five years ago, the opportunity to serve as Interim Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at the Frisco Campus opened up. I was hired as a permanent associate dean five months later. The areas I oversaw were Dance, English, French, Humanities, Integrated Reading and Writing, Music, Philosophy, Photography, Spanish, and Speech Communication. Over a year ago, I applied for my dream job position as the Dean of Academic Affairs and Workforce for Fine Arts and Education at the Plano Campus, which is where I am today overseeing the division with the disciplines of Art, Commercial Music, Communication Design, Dance, Early Childhood Education, Education, Music, Photography, and Theatre. I have come full circle at Collin College leading the division where I first got my start and it feels like a dream come true.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I can’t say it’s been an easy road, but I am grateful for the mentors I’ve had along the way. When people in my life show that they believe in me, it gives me the ammunition I need to pursue dreams that I would not have otherwise considered. Since my parents do not speak English, my first struggle was in getting to college and understanding how to navigate a different world. Thank goodness for the teachers in my life that recognized my potential. I’ve made mistakes and learned many lessons, but I give myself permission to be okay with not knowing everything. I pick myself up and learn from those mistakes. Since I was blessed with mentors in my life, I have made it one of my life goals to continue paying it forward.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am currently a Dean of Academic Affairs and Workforce at the Collin College Plano Campus, and I love my job! Being able to support my team so that they can, in turn, help our students is what I love most about coming to work. I am most proud that I am the first in my family to graduate from high school and earn a Bachelor’s degree, Master of Fine Arts degree, and a Ph.D. My parents both have only a third and sixth-grade education. They know the meaning of sacrifice and hard work. Since they came to this country to give their children a shot at a better life, I knew that I was not going to let my parents down early in life. As an artist, my work is about immigrants. In my work, I strive to elevate immigrants by creating positive images that can help counter negative stereotypes.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I grew up in Southeast Fort Worth in a 700 sq. ft. home with my parents and two siblings. I attended the magnet school at Polytechnic High School for Finance and Communications, and my first mentor who believed in me was my Communications teacher, Terry Buckner. She was the first person that told me I could go to college and helped me to get there. After I arrived at Texas A&M-Commerce, my photography professor Bill McDowell encouraged me to attend graduate school, and I could not have completed my MFA without the support of my graduate school mentor Dornith Doherty. These teachers made it easy for me to believe in myself. Once I was in my teaching job at Collin College, several faculty served as my mentors without knowing it. I was surrounded by smart women with Ph. D.s and I wanted to be like them.
Image Credits
Nick Young
Anna Fritzel
Lupita Murillo
Tinnen
