Since surviving a near-fatal car accident in 2019, Cassandra Lizardi-Morales has rediscovered her passions for education, social justice and helping others.
The accident and the physical rehabilitation that followed were not Lizardi-Morales’ only hurdles. From rising out of an economically disadvantaged area to addressing mental health struggles, she has overcome numerous obstacles on her way to graduating this month from The University of Texas at Dallas with a bachelor’s degree in political science.
Lizardi-Morales’ family traveled to the U.S. as economic refugees first in the 1960s, then later in the 1980s, looking to escape the civil war in El Salvador. She and her single mother and older brother lived in public housing in West Dallas.
“Beginning in middle school, I began to feel the effects of depression, a common experience for children growing up in poverty,” she said. “By the last semester of my senior year of high school, I was not on track to graduate on time.
“It took the advocacy of my government teacher — who was also my debate coach — on my behalf to be given a chance. Every Saturday, he volunteered to sit down with me at a coffee shop as I completed missing homework.”
After graduating from Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet in the Dallas Independent School District, Lizardi-Morales enrolled in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences (EPPS) at UT Dallas in fall 2016. She was the first in her family to pursue a college education.
During her freshman year, Lizardi-Morales was at risk of losing her financial aid due to subpar academic performance, which she said resulted from untreated mental health issues and poor study habits.
She found help at UT Dallas. The Student Counseling Center provided Lizardi-Morales support and directed her to additional off-campus resources. When she asked, professors offered academic help and career guidance. She also learned tips for effective studying at the Student Success Center.
“The reality that I almost lost my life only invigorated and expanded my passion for social justice.”
Cassandra Lizardi-Morales
Soon, Lizardi-Morales saw an improvement in her grades. In spring 2018, she made the dean’s list. She also gained a more positive outlook on college and her career path.
Then, in January 2019, she and her roommate were seriously injured in a hit-and-run crash in Dallas involving an 18-wheeler. Lizardi-Morales had to take a semester off from her studies while her broken hips and collarbone healed.
Pursuing Her Passion
When she returned to campus, she sought out opportunities to make a difference in her community. She joined the Students for Justice in Palestine chapter on campus and participated in discussions hosted by UT Dallas’ Institute for Urban Policy Research.
Lizardi-Morales also continued to volunteer. Since her sophomore year of high school, she has worked with the Dallas Urban Debate Alliance instructing DISD students on advocacy and critical-thinking skills.
“The reality that I almost lost my life only invigorated and expanded my passion for social justice,” she said.
Dr. Paul Diehl, Ashbel Smith Professor of political science, described Lizardi-Morales as determined and resilient.
“Her background has presented her with a number of challenges, but she has overcome these. … Her career choice to become a teacher is a terrific one and is well-suited to inspiring others to overcome obstacles and instill the next generation with the importance of social justice concerns.”
Dr. Paul Diehl, Ashbel Smith Professor of political science
Diehl, associate provost and director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at UT Dallas, said she also has a strong moral character. In his class on peace, he said Lizardi-Morales strived to learn more about the rationales behind different perspectives and to “get things right” in terms of morality and justice.
“Her background has presented her with a number of challenges, but she has overcome these. Her resilience is also evident from overcoming such a serious accident,” Diehl said. “I think that her career choice to become a teacher is a terrific one and is well-suited to inspiring others to overcome obstacles and instill the next generation with the importance of social justice concerns.”
Bright Future Ahead
Lizardi-Morales still feels some physical effects from the accident. Fellow physical therapy patients motivated her to apply for a scholarship for the first time, and in 2019 she was awarded the Jeanne Glorioso Scholarship for EPPS students at UT Dallas.
The 23-year-old also found a creative outlet. In an effort to raise awareness about housing inequity, she began a project documenting gentrification in West Dallas through film. She shares the photographs, which she takes with a disposable camera, on Instagram @thedallasarchive.
Spring 2021 Commencement Coverage
After receiving financial aid offers from multiple universities, Lizardi-Morales accepted admission to the University of California, Berkeley, where she will pursue a master’s degree in education and a secondary social studies teacher certification.
Dr. Vito D’Orazio, assistant professor of political science at UT Dallas, said Lizardi-Morales was among the most engaged students in his class. She always came prepared and never backed down from asking challenging questions.
“Cassandra is eager to pursue graduate studies, to become a high school teacher and to encourage youth development through competitive debate,” he said. “I have no doubt that she will excel in her future endeavors.”
Lizardi-Morales said she is thankful she attended UT Dallas, where the class size is small enough that teachers know their students and where faculty are easily accessible. Student-to-faculty ratio at the University is 24 to 1.
As she plans for her future in education, Lizardi-Morales thinks back to the educator who empowered her to succeed.
“I want to be that social studies teacher who not only educates students on the political and policy processes that affect their everyday lives, but also the teacher who is willing to sit down at a coffee shop with struggling students on a Saturday or to edit college admission essays,” she said. “My goal is to pay back my blessings and to effect change in the lives of individuals so that they, too, can contribute to change.”