SCOLA 37 Opening Speaker

Ricardo Montelongo, Ph. D. is an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at Sam Houston State University. He teaches in the Higher Education Administration and Higher Education Leadership graduate programs. Ricardo’s primary research interests include college student involvement; the impact of Latina/o/x college student organizations; diversity issues in higher education; and spirituality in higher education. He also studies (critical) digital pedagogy and online teaching and learning.  At Sam Houston State University, he teaches courses such as: Leadership of Higher Education, The College Student, Organization and Administration of Higher Education, History of Higher Education, and Diverse & Culture. His publications can be found in About Campus, Journal of Effective Teaching in Higher Education, International Journal of Information & Learning Technology, and the Journal of College Student Development. He has twenty years professional administrative experience in student success, academic advising, academic enhancement, Student Support Services/TRiO, institutional research, career development and residence life.  He received his Ph.D. in Higher Education from Indiana University and a M.S. in Student Affairs Administration and B.S. in Psychology both from Texas A&M University. He is active in ACPA College Student Educators International and was co-chair of its Latinx Network from 2011-2013.

SCOLA 37 Keynote Speakers

Ramon Contreras, a 23-year-old Afro-Latino political activist from Harlem, New York, is the founder of the Youth Over Guns program, dedicated to combating gun violence in minority communities and advocating for gun control. Ramon has been interviewed by major outlets, including NBC News Latino, The New York Times, Telemundo, Univision, and many more, sharing his insights and experience on young activism and civic engagement.

Ramon’s presentation at SCOLA 37, “From Grassroots to National Impact: Mastering Professional Networking as An Activist,” aims to inspire and educate young adults about intentional networking. Drawing from his personal experiences as an Afro-Latino civic leader, Ramon will highlight how youth can reshape networking strategies, ensure their voices are heard, and build professional careers as future impactful leaders.

Claudia Alanis Harris ’15 is a proud Mexican American, born and raised in the Houston area, who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and a Minor in Dance from Texas A&M University in 2015. She was heavily involved on campus as a member of Kappa Delta Sorority, and Dance Arts Society. Upon graduation, Claudia began her career working in recruitment and sales for various firms, until switching her career path to the public infrastructure sector. In her experience as a construction record keeper, she eventually began working on large-scale roadway projects as a construction utility coordinator. She had the opportunity to work on many transformational projects in the Houston area, one of which was considered to be the nation’s highest traffic interstate interchange; IH610/IH69. 

Claudia currently serves as the Director of Business Development at Entech Civil Engineers; the largest Hispanic-owned civil engineering firm in the state of Texas. She has also worked her way up to be a part of the Board of Directors of Houston Hispanic Architects and Engineers (HHAE), a non-profit organization with a mission to unite, promote, and connect Hispanic architecture and engineering professionals while inspiring the next generation. In 2023, she helped HHAE to kick-off their Annual Awards Gala during Hispanic Heritage Month and raised over $100,00 in scholarship funds for young Hispanic students in Houston. In 2024, she served as the youngest President in HHAE history and had her final term as President in December of 2024 In addition to her service with HHAE, she was appointed by Harris County Commissioner Briones to serve on the Board of Directors for the non-profit organization, Harris County Precinct4Forward, and is also an Assistant Captain of the Wine Events Committee with Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. She proudly calls Houston home, and lives with her husband, Hunter Harris ’13, and their two dogs, Bailey and Rylie.

Jonathan Olvera is an award–winning REALTOR® with Weichert REALTORS – The Eastland Group combined with over a decade of experience in banking. His commitment to learning and serving his clients well has paid off by being an award winner every year of his real estate career. 

Jonathan has served his community in many roles including being the Chairman of the Cen–Tex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (CTHCC) and briefly as acting President of CTHCC while leading a search with the Board for a new President. Jonathan had a vision for CTHCC and developed a program called Escalando which provides free classes to the Spanish–speaking population with topics that help in starting a business or taking the next step in the growth of their businesses. He has taken his service in chamber work to the state level serving on the Executive Committee of the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce (TAMACC) as the Chairman of Young Professionals. Jonathan is the City Councilman for the City of Lacy Lakeview and the Vice–Chairman of the Sports and Entertainment Leadership Council for the Heart o‘ Texas Fair & Rodeo (HOT Fair). He is also the treasurer for the Esperanza committee of the HOT Fair and serves on the board for Keep Waco Beautiful. Additionally, Jonathan has also been involved in serving as Chairman of the Young Professionals Network (YPN) committee of the Waco Association of REALTORS.