Student - Parent Group Offers Support to Those at SAC

“Pace yourself.”

That’s what student Cassandra Sepulveda answered when asked what advice she would give to other student-parents attending San Antonio College. As a mother of two children, 20-month-old Leo and six-year-old Elena, Cassandra is currently attending SAC with a team of parents aiding in her journey through Parents Achieving College Education (PACE).

PACE is a group of students led by SAC staff member Andi Kephardt and PACE President Tanitha Villar, who meet once every two weeks to participate in activities, engage in conversations with one another, and bring their children to meetings to engage with each other.

Sepulveda explains that her story with PACE began in 2025. “I was on the third floor

of the library where I was studying with my son, Leo. I found the group by accident while I was there,” she said. She and her husband continued to attend meetings. “The group was there for all Baby Leo’s firsts.”

PACE created connections between other student-parents on campus. “I feel like I’ve made lifelong friends. If a kid is having a breakdown in the middle of a group, no one casts judgement. You have people who truly understand,” Sepulveda said.

Her goals at SAC are directly linked to her role as a parent. “My daughter was born deaf and did not regain hearing until she was six months old. This led to speech delays, and now Elena attends speech therapy. I loved watching the growth Elena experienced from her one-on-one meetings and it guided me in my decision to pursue a career as a speech pathologist,” she said.

Sepulveda is set to graduate from San Antonio College in the spring of 2027, where she will receive an associate of science degree. She plans to transfer to Our Lady of the Lake University to study Speech Pathology. “With PACE, people you didn’t know before become family. Some of us don’t have family support to start with, so even at graduation ceremonies we are there to support one another,” Sepulveda clarifies. “Bottom line, PACE has been the most supportive community that I’ve ever been around.”

PACE meets from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. the first Friday of the month in the KidSpot on the 3^rd floor in the Moody Learning Center. Follow PACE @sac_studentparents on Instagram to stay up-to-date on group happenings.

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