Spotlight Series: Daniele Delgado

Daniele Delgado brings her experience in science, sports medicine, and education to her role as Academic Program Coordinator for the STEM and Tutoring Centers at Palo Alto College.

A San Antonio native and graduate of Northside ISD, UTSA, and Texas A&M University–San Antonio, Delgado previously spent 12 years in K–12 education as a licensed athletic trainer, teacher, assistant principal, and assistant athletic director, as well as eight years teaching sports medicine courses at the university level. She was drawn to Palo Alto College by the opportunity to combine hands-on learning, student engagement, and community outreach in a less traditional administrative setting.

In her current role, Delgado helps oversee academic support services that extend beyond tutoring alone. The STEM and Tutoring Centers work closely with faculty to reinforce classroom learning while offering mentoring, study skills support, career exploration, and certifications that help students connect coursework to real-world opportunities.

“Our goal is to help students build confidence step by step,” Delgado said. “Sometimes that starts with tutoring, and sometimes it starts with simply walking through the door and asking a question.”

Delgado has seen firsthand how academic support can transform a student’s mindset.

“We don’t just tutor,” Delgado explained. “We help students build study strategies, navigate Canvas, prepare resumes, explore careers, and connect to campus resources, sometimes even walking them to the next office they need.”

Beyond the academic year, the STEM Center hosts summer camps for students in grades 6–12 and recent high school graduates planning to enroll at Palo Alto College. These camps span disciplines such as engineering, robotics, health professions, drones, computer programming, and sports medicine, all with a strong emphasis on hands-on learning.

Students can also earn certifications, including CPR, Stop the Bleed, drone-pilot preparation, and technical skill credentials, providing tangible takeaways and early exposure to career pathways.

“We see a lot of returning students year after year,” Delgado said. “That tells us we’re creating an environment where learning is engaging, meaningful, and fun.”

Soon, the STEM Center and Tutoring Center will take an important step forward by consolidating into one unified academic support space on campus, a move designed to simplify and enhance the student experience.

“Having all disciplines in one place will make services more accessible and easier to navigate,” Delgado said. “Students won’t have to move from building to building to get different kinds of help. Science, math, writing, tutoring,  it will all be right there.”

The consolidation will also allow staff to collaborate more closely, expand programming, and streamline services to ensure students receive comprehensive support in a single visit.

“It’s about making things simpler for students and creating a more cohesive experience,” she added.

For students who may feel hesitant to seek help, Delgado offers simple but powerful encouragement.

“You’ve already taken a courageous first step by enrolling and showing up,” she said. “Walking through our doors is just the next step forward.”

Her hope is that students see the STEM and Tutoring Center not just as an academic resource but as a welcoming space designed to support their growth, confidence, and success every step of the way.

“If students just come in once, attend an event, or ask a question,” she said, “they’ll see the environment we’re trying to create and realize they’re not doing this alone.”