Meet Our Tutors

Adolfo Butch Cárdenas 

 A native of South Texas, Butch is a former Marine and has worked as a veteran newspaper journalist throughout the American Southwest and Mexico. He is a 2005 honor graduate from Texas A&M – Corpus Christi with a degree in English and a minor in Creative Writing. Butch has also completed his graduate coursework in Composition and Rhetoric at Texas A&M Corpus Christi. As a graduate assistant, Butch served as technical writer for two years with A&M-Corpus Christi’s Department of Computers, Media & Telecommunications. An avid writer, he has been previously published in academic literary journals and his Young Adult Literature book Por la Calle Claremont: The Beto Stories will be published later this year by Floricanto Press of California. Aside from writing, his hobbies include playing acoustic guitar, cooking and gardening. You can usually find Butch in the College Level Writing Center in JH 216 Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.     

David Tober

David returned to college after a 30-year absence. He started his college career at San Antonio College where he earned an Associate's Degree. While there, worked in the Development Grammar lab of the English Department. First, as a student assistant, this taught him how to tutor in grammar and then became a writing tutor.  David enjoys the work and the challenges it presents, and he has been tutoring for twelve years. He earned his Bachelor's Degree in Communication at UTSA. He started working at the Gardner Writing Center at UTSA  in May 08 right after graduating from UTSA. Now, he works at both Northwest Vista College and at UTSA. Both provide him with different challenges and experiences.  You can find David in the College Level Writing Center in JH 216 in the evenings Monday-Thursday.

Virginia Gates

 My name is Virginia Gates, and I have been a school teacher for 41 years.  I received my Bachelors of Science degree in English at the University of Idaho and my Masters Degree in Education/Administration at A and I in Kingsville, Texas, now a part of A and M.  I taught public school in Lytle, Texas for 31 years.  The other 10 years have been wonderful years at NVC, teaching developmental writing and tutoring.  I have been blessed with many wonderful students and many wonderful co-workers during my years of teaching.  One of my favorite hobbies is reading.  I enjoy reading all kinds of books.  One of my favorite activities is camping with my RV.  My family is always with me, and we have had and still have some wonderful times together. You can find Virgina in the Developmental English Lab in JH 229 Monday-Thursday.

 Emily Lopez

I am from Corpus Christi, Texas and moved to San Antonio to attend college at St. Mary’s University where I pursued my passion for literature and obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Communication Arts. I have been with NVC since 2011 where I enjoy tutoring and teaching developmental English students. I am also a graduate student at UTSA working toward a Master’s Degree in English.  When I am not working, I enjoy hiking, painting animals, banana cream pie, and spending time with family. I am also a mom to two misbehaved pugs named Junebugg and Godzilla. You can find Emily in the developmental English lab in JH 229 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.  

Nathan Sanchez 

Nathan Sanchez is from San Antonio, Texas.  He graduated from A&M San Antonio with a Bachelors of Science in Criminology. Nathan Sanchez has two jobs. He has served for five years in the Marine Corps Reserves as a Recon Marine at 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, and he has worked for three years at Northwest Vista Community College as an English tutor. He enjoys working as a tutor because it gives him an opportunity to help students. His interest and hobbies are the following: watching documentaries, reading books, pistol shooting, lifting weights, and running. You can find Nathan in JH110 Developmental Reading Lab or JH229 Developmental English Lab.  

Dawna Upshaw

 Hello All, I'm Dawna Upshaw! I received my Bachelors of Arts degree in English Literature at Texas Tech University. I also finished the creative writing emphasis for my degree at TTU. My two boys were born while I was working and going to school there in Lubbock, Texas.  I worked for awhile with the Dept. of Heath (WIC Program) in Lubbock while finishing up my bachelors degree. I have lived in Utah, Idaho, Texas, Oregon, and Texas again! I earned my Masters Degree in Education in reading and literacy from UTSA in 2010. My family is very important to me. I have been teaching reading classes at NVC since 2007, and tutoring at NVC since 2006. Teaching has been the most challenging career for me so far, but it has also been rewarding. I have continued tutoring because I enjoy working with students individually. One of my favorite hobbies is writing short stories.  I  currently have six stories in chronological order that I am working on transforming into a screenplay. One of my favorite activities is going on short hikes and camping. I also love vintage music. Motown makes me the most happy, if I need a quick happy song for the day. I love to create and share playlists with my friends.  You can find Dawna in JH 110, 216, and 229 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturday.

Denise Fritter

Hello, I am Denise Fritter and I have been a tutor for over six years.  I have tutored core curriculum classes, but currently I am in the Developmental English Lab.  I knew from an early age that teaching was something I wanted to do. Once I began working on my undergraduate degree, I applied for a tutoring position with another ACCD college.  There I found that I loved tutoring and have since tutored in three different ACCD colleges.    I enjoy my job as a tutor and look forward to helping students succeed in their courses.  Some fun facts about me, I like to spend time with any or all of my grandchildren.  They keep me young. My husband and I are motorcycle enthusiasts.  We are in a club and meet once a month for friendship and riding.  We have a small wildlife preserve, our home, in Kerrville and I enjoy spending time with all of our furry friends.  I love water and during the summer you will find me in the river or on the beach.  You can find Denise in JH 229 on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.

Alice Parsons

My name is Alice Parsons. After working at several other schools here in San Antonio, I finally found my niche here at Norwest Vista. It is a wonderful place to work and study. I have been working in the Developmental Tutoring Lab for five years. I enjoy traveling and reading. A book that I have read recently that I really liked is The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. You can find Alice in the Developmental English Lab in JH 229 on Mondays, Tuesday, Thursdays, and Fridays.     

Tracy Flores

My name is Tracy and I am a native Californian. I was born in San Jose and lived in Northern California until I joined the United States Air Force. In 1996, right after high school, Texas became my new place of residence. I completed my basic training for the military at Lackland Air Force Base. After I was stationed at Brooks AFB, I began taking college classes at Palo Alto College. I now have a B.S. in Occupational Education with a minor in Allied Health Science. After working in the medical field, I discovered that it didn’t satisfy me and my purpose in life was not being fulfilled. I decided to change career fields completely and I completed my M.A. in Education. By this time, I was married with two beautiful kids. So I became a domestic goddess for the past ten years. I have been an English/Reading tutor at NVC for almost 5 years now. It is my passion to help others achieve their dreams. When I am not on campus, I volunteer as a Brownie Girl Scout Leader for my daughter’s troop. I love the outdoors, camping (in the cooler months), swimming, traveling and seeing new things, tennis, shopping, Girl’s Night Out, and anything that involves my family! You can find Tracy in the Reading Lab in JH110 Tuesday-Thursday from 9-2:30.  

Jo Ann Martinez

Hello NVC students, faculty, staff, and distinguished readers. My name is Jo Ann Martinez. I am one of many tutors who assist in the Reading and English labs. In addition to tutoring, I teach one or two Developmental Reading classes during the Fall and Spring semesters. It’s always a joy to bring in a new group of students! I have been in the education business for about seven years. I taught in public school for four years, have been tutoring for four years, and this will be my third year teaching with NVC. As far as my education credentials, I earned my Associates of Applied Science in Child Development from San Antonio College. I then went on to UTSA and completed by Bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies with a Specialization in Reading. I have earned twelve hours towards my Graduate Degree. The true blessing of my life is my son, Matthew. He studied at UT in Austin, received a Double Major in Computer Science and Mathematics, and is currently working in Boston. Another part of my life is my silly cat, Cheyla, who thinks she rules at home. I, of course, keep her in line --most of the time. My hobbies include gardening, star-gazing, and watching musicals.  

I am thrilled to work with you this semester. Please don’t be shy and feel free to ask me for help, that’s what I am here for. Students are the priority. It is my pleasure to serve you this semester and future semesters with your academic needs. I wish you all the success in the world. Remember, you must believe in yourself! You can do it! It just takes hard work and dedication, but the sacrifice of today will pay off tomorrow! Education opens so many doors for you, in more ways that you can ever imagine. You can find Jo Ann in the Reading Lab on Mondays and Wednesdays.

More coming soon...