Education Innovator Marcela Andrés '05 on AI, Community and Leading with Humanity
Austin-native Marcela Andrés ‘05 grew up with the hilltop in her backyard. Raised in North Austin and a child of immigrants, Marcela learned she was a little different than everyone else at her school.
Instead of frijoles and gorditas at lunchtime, Marcela was exposed to pizza in the cafeteria. Kids often commented on her accent on the bus, which eventually taught her to embrace her identity as a Cuban-American-Mexican.
Community was essential to Marcela’s growth and success, which she often found in school settings. Community also became the pillar for her company, designEDengagement.
But Marcela’s plan did not always revolve around education. Through her elementary school mentors and her own experience leading a classroom, Marcela eventually landed right where she needed to be.
Finding Belonging in the Classroom
What was your experience like in the American school system?
Marcela: As a child of immigrants, you don't really know that you're a child of immigrants until social constructs come into play. When I was on the bus, some of my classmates asked me, “What are you?” I said, “What do you mean? I'm American, and I was born here. I was born in Breckenridge Hospital here in Austin.” At that moment, I said, “I'm Cuba-Mex, and I'm Cuban-American-Mexican.”
Who were some of your mentors throughout your education?
Marcela: My teachers always cultivated not only a space of learning, but of belonging in their classrooms. They were always there to support my academic journey, but also there to check in on me as a little human being. One teacher with whom I still keep in touch, more than 30 years later, is Mrs. Tavasoli. She was my sister’s teacher, but also that type of educator who made it her business to make sure that her students and their families, and communities were good.
What was the conversation like around pursuing a higher education in your family?
Marcela: From a very young age, my mom always made it clear that I would attend college. She told me, “I will break my back to make sure that you get an education.” Although she didn’t know how to get me there, she was determined. The first person I always thought about calling was Mrs. Tavasoli because she knew how to navigate the system that I didn't. She was definitely one of the educators who changed the trajectory of my life.
Can you walk me through applying to college?
Marcela: My first choice was actually the U.S. Naval Academy, to which I received the congressional nomination from Congressman Lloyd Doggett. Like many Latino parents, my mom fell into the thinking that I should not move away from home, and interfered with my Naval Academy process. When I realized that I lost my spot, I quickly applied to St. Edward's, and when I stepped foot onto campus and met professors and students, I thought, "Oh, this is really nice.”
What was your college experience like on the hilltop?
Marcela: I wasn’t allowed to live in the dorms since we lived in Austin. It’s a challenge that Latino children face, especially young Latina women, the fear of the unknown for families. That being said, I started my studies at St. Ed’s in August 2001. St. Edward’s is a very welcoming campus with amazing professors and a culture of deep critical thinking and idea creation. What I really loved was that St. Edward’s was doing the work; it really has a mission of humanity. It was everything I think a college should be—it offered a variety of courses, and as a young learner, it allowed me to explore what I really want to do and invest in my future.
Describe the journey you took to find the major best suited for you.
Marcela: I was first looking into political science as a career. After my first criminal justice class, I understood that law is very subjective, and I don’t thrive in ambiguity. Growing up as the daughter of immigrants, I was always impressed with women who dressed in business suits and made a lot of money. So I went into finance and thrived.
A Life-Changing Pivot: From Finance to Education
After graduating in 2005 from St. Edward’s University, Marcela continued her career in finance and insurance as a consultant and underwriter for multiple companies across Austin. But when an opportunity to live in Mexico arrived, Marcela packed her bags and embarked on a journey that would change the trajectory of her career for good.
After spending years advocating for public education and policy across Texas, Marcela was ready to combine her finance degree and experience into starting her own business in education. Cue designEDengagement, Marcela’s’ brainchild and a Houston-based Public Benefit Corporation.
As CEO and founder of designEDengagement, Marcela and her team advise communities on student recruitment and enrollment strategies, AI in education, family engagement systems, community partnerships, and humanity-centered design and implementation. As she celebrates seven years as a self-funded Latina entrepreneur, she is also recognized as one of the Houston Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs of 2025.
How did you define your success after graduating?
Marcela: I was defining success through how much I made and if I was going to become a CFO or a CEO. My definition of success completely changed when I lived in Mexico and became a classroom teacher, when I saw the power of an educator in a front row seat. I realized how much was poured into me and how much an educator can pour into children. Since then, success for me has become about how I use my time and talent to make this world a better place…and in particular, for people who do not know how to navigate the American educational system.
A key component of your company is leading with humanity. What does this mean to you?
Marcela: As a daughter of an immigrant, there were times that my mom specifically was treated like a second-class citizen because her English wasn't as strong. We do not get to pick the circumstances. Nobody gets to call up God and say, “Hey, before you put me on earth, I want the premium package.” Which means as human beings, we need to be cognizant and gentle to one another.
Leading with humanity is just that simple. Nobody picks where you were born or to whom you were born, but we do get to pick how we show up to care for one another.
Over these seven years with designEDengagement, have you found strategies that work for current students and educators in the classroom?
Marcela: I think that we are still forcing an outdated educational model down kids' throats. There's no way to sugarcoat that. And AI, the AI era is here, whether we like it or not, right? No matter where you stand on that, it's coming quickly. With that being said, we need to change our educational system to meet the cognitive level and interests of children. The kids that I've talked to, the families that I've interfaced with are saying, “our kids are bored.” They want to learn differently. And we have the technology to help them learn differently.
From the Hilltop to TEDx and SXSW
By 2023, Marcela’s first book, “Purposeful Educator Connections: Five Principles to Strengthen Relationships with Students,” was published. By 2025, she led her first TEDx Talk, “Breaking the Box: How Relationships Define Education.” As part of the LeveragED Foundation Collective, a network investing in education leaders to accelerate thriving, transformative school systems, Marcela teamed up with other professionals in the group to propose a SXSW EDU panel on implementing and using AI with the family and local community needs in mind.
Despite the era students, families, and educators are in, her core message remains the same: “We cannot forgo humanity despite creating and co-creating these tools (AI). We have to make sure we’re engaging in conversations with students and families.”
On March 11, 2026, Marcela joined her second panel at SXSW EDU on “Efficacy Equation: Educators, Students, Families as AI Agents.”
As she returns to Austin for SXSW EDU, Marcela hopes to swing by Café Crème for some coffee and enjoy another stroll around Town Lake, just like she did growing up with her family.
