Education & Background

• M.S. in Speech Language Pathology, University of Texas at El Paso
• Originally from San Antonio; chose El Paso to deepen her professional and community impact

Professional Journey

With 16 years of experience across educational and medical settings, Sheryl specializes in building inclusive environments where all learners can thrive. Her work blends innovation, empathy, evidence-based practices, and deep connection-building.

Educational Innovation

• Inclusion Pioneer: Designed and implemented inclusion classrooms for young children with speech impairments inspired by Froebel’s play-based philosophy.
• Co-Teaching Excellence: Developed collaborative programs integrating up to 12 students with special needs into general education classrooms.
• Adult Learning Focus: Identified the need to support adults working with diverse learners, leading her into transformative professional development.

Healthcare Expertise

• Brain Injury Specialization: Gained advanced experience working with stroke and traumatic brain injury patients and applying those insights to classroom learning.
• Therapeutic Application: Adapted orientation therapy and evidence-based strategies to enhance student engagement and learning environments.

Leadership & Systems Change

• PBIS Leadership: Led Positive Behavior Intervention Support Teams at three campuses for five years each, strengthening school-wide expectations and safe learning climates.
• Mindset Transformation: Helps adults shift from deficit-based thinking to strength-driven approaches when addressing challenging behaviors.
• Presentation Excellence: Sought-after regional presenter known for interactive, participant-centered learning experiences.

Empathy-Driven Consulting

• Empathy Interview Innovation: Created her signature “Sheryl-ized” Empathy Interviews inspired by Stanford’s Design Thinking model to uncover authentic learning barriers.
• Connection-Based Training: Builds trust by listening deeply to participant stories before designing tailored professional development.
• Regional Impact: Collaborated with all 12 school districts and 9 charter schools across El Paso and Hudspeth County.

Core Competencies

• Building trusting learning relationships with diverse adult learners
• Designing safe, inclusive environments for individuals with challenging behaviors
• Applying brain research and evidence-based practices to education
• Facilitating empathy development and authentic human connection
• Guiding adults from “that’s not how I do it” to “I’m trying” mindset shifts

Professional Development Philosophy

“If you can make a genuine connection to those that need it most, just like our challenging students, then adult learners will feel comfortable taking risks and stepping out of their comfort zone—moving from rote to meaningful learning.”

Current Role

Sheryl serves as an Adjunct Professor at UTEP, teaching three specialized courses and fostering environments where future educators can recognize personal learning barriers, deepen empathy, and build the skills needed to support diverse learners.