Student Success Program
About the Student Success Program
The Student Success Program is a federally-funded program for students who are first-generation college students, Pell-Grant eligible students and/or students with a diagnosed disability.
The main tenet of the Student Success Program is to increase retention and graduation rates of its participants through the provision of a continuum of academic (i.e., tutoring) and non-academic support services tailored to assist each individual participant from the time he/she enters UIW until he/she graduates from the university.
The vast majority of the program's participants are first-generation college students who are also Pell-Grant eligible.
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Student Success Program - Mission Statement
Each day we will provide effective and efficient mentoring; tutoring services and other related activities and services necessary to assist our students in their postsecondary short and long-term goals and we will maintain an individual, professional and supportive relationship with each of the students participating in our program.
From the Director
The Student Success Program staff are here to ensure its participants are being provided opportunities available to students at the University of the Incarnate Word. Personal and academic successes are important to us and we are committed to helping students attain their educational goals. Please visit the other areas of our web site or our UIW Blackboard site to more information about the Student Success Program.
Hours of Operation
The Student Success Program office is open at 8:00 a.m., Monday – Friday. Closing hours vary by semester. Call 210-805-5812 to find out the current closing hours.
Contact us via email at
Dr. Rhonda Rapp, Director, rapp@uiwtx.edu
Lydia Perez Roberts, Program Leader lcrobert@uiwtx.edu
Marie Soto, Program Counselor, masoto1@uiwtx.edu
Dr. Rhonda Rapp, Director
rapp@uiwtx.edu, 210-829-3938
Administration Building, rm 119
Dr. Rhonda Rapp has been the Director of the Student Success Program since the beginning of the program in 2001. She worked in Student Support Services at St. Philip’s College for the ten years prior to accepting the Director position at UIW. Dr. Rapp is also the Director of Student Disability Services at the University.
Dr. Rapp received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Psychology and Sociology from Oklahoma State University; a Master’s of Education in Counseling Psychology with a specialty in Diagnostics from the University of Central Oklahoma University; and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Educational Human Resource Development with a specialty in program development from Texas A&M University.
Lydia Perez Roberts, Program Leader
lcrobert@uiwtx.edu, 210-805-5812
Administration Building, rm 225
Lydia Perez Roberts, MSW, is the newest member of the Student Success Program and began her position as Program Leader in May 2008. She received her Bachelor of Social Work from Our Lady of the Lake University and her Masters of Social Work with a concentration in Administration from the University of Northern Iowa.
During her time as a first generation college student, she served as a student leader in various capacities including President of the Student Government Association, and was awarded various national scholarships/awards, including ones from the U.S. Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, and Glamour en Espanol Magazine.
Ms. Roberts previously worked as a staff member for the Alamo Community College District’s Student Leadership Institute and most recently worked as the Assistant Director for Multicultural Education at the University of Northern Iowa from 2004-2008. She is excited to work with students who face many of the challenges she once faced and looks forward to leading programming that will help them to reach their academic and personal goals.
Marie Soto, Program Counselor
masoto1@uiwtx.edu, 210-805-5812
Administration Building, rm 225
Marie A. Soto, MA, LPC has over five years of experience as an Academic Advisor and Career Counselor from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a year of working as a Student Success Specialist at Northwest Vista College.
She earned an undergraduate degree in Music Marketing and a Master of Arts in Counseling, both from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Ms. Soto is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a certified hypnotherapist.
As a first generation college graduate and professional, she hopes to address the needs of first generation students not only in academic areas, but also have an impact on the wellness of their personal lives.
TRiO Student Success Program Photos:
