STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Victoria College President and Tarleton State University graduate Dr. Jennifer Kent (’98) has been honored by the Texas TRIO Association for her contributions and achievements in secondary and postsecondary education.  

An alumnus of the Upward Bound program at Tarleton, where she received her B.A. in English, she went on to earn her M.Ed. in Education Administration from the University of North Texas then her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Texas A&M University-Kingsville.  

She has served in various academic leadership roles including principal positions within the Dallas and Early Independent School Districts. She was also the cohort coordinator for the John E. Roueche Center for Community College Leadership at Kansas State University, Senior Vice President at Ranger College and was appointed President of Victoria College in 2020.

“Dr. Kent’s experience and accomplishments are vast and encompass both secondary and postsecondary education,” said Jenny Watts, Executive Director of TRIO Programs at Tarleton. “She has worked her way from high school teacher to college president with unwavering determination to ensure that historically marginalized students have equal opportunity and access to receive a college education.”

With an educational career of over 24 years, she has been a staunch advocate for students from underrepresented backgrounds and has testified on their behalf to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Commission on Community College Finance.  She is actively involved with the American Association of Community Colleges’ Commission on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the Executive and Legislative Committees of the Texas Association of Community Colleges, the Victoria Economic Development Corporation Board, Victoria Regional YMCA Board, and the University of Houston-Victoria President’s Regional Advisory Board. 

A founding member of The Texas A&M System, Tarleton State University is breaking records — in enrollment, research, scholarship, athletics, philanthropy and engagement — while transforming the lives of approximately 18,000 students in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Bryan and online. For 125 years, Tarleton State has been committed to accessible higher education opportunities for all while helping students grow academically, socially and professionally through programs that emphasize real world learning and address regional, state and national needs.