Radford University’s College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences recognized Dr. Emma Violand-Sánchez with its 2025 Outstanding Alumni Award during a homecoming ceremony at Hemphill Hall on Friday, October 10. Dr. Emma Violand-Sánchez, B.S. French, ‘66; M.S. Guidance & Counseling ’68 is a lifelong educator and advocate on behalf of immigrant and refugee students and their families.
The criteria for this award include being an Alumna with a high profile, who has had a sustained record of distinguished contributions in a specific field of work or study, been a transformational leader within their community, and/or have been recognized for their professional achievements. Emma checks every one of those boxes and so much more.
If we just focused on her success within her professional work as an educator and administrator within the Arlington school system, where she recognized the need and championed for bilingual education; or her role as the first Latina Chair of the Arlington School Board; or her work establishing the The Dream Project, which provides scholarships and mentorship to students whose immigration status is a barrier to higher education, it would be easy to make the case that Emma meets our criteria for an outstanding Alum, but there is so much more.
The story of how Emma got to the place where she was ready to make these incredible professional contributions is incredible itself. It truly is a story of challenge and resilience.
Emma’s journey began in Cochabamba[JA1] , Bolivia, and brought her to Fairfax, Virginia at the age of 16—alone, without her parents. She graduated from Mount Vernon High School in 1962 and earned a scholarship to Radford University, where she completed her B.S. in French in 1966 and her M.S. in Guidance and Counseling in 1968.
Emma met her and married her husband, Al, while she was a student at RU. When he was drafted to go to Vietnam, she returned to RU to earn her Masters degree. Sadly, Al did not come back from Vietnam. As difficult as that was, she completed her degree and returned to Bolivia, where she served as a teacher, counselor, and professor at Catholic University. During that time, she and her colleagues founded Un Maestro Más [JA2] (One more Teacher), a nonprofit that funded teachers for fifteen rural schools—an early sign of her lifelong commitment to educational equity and philanthropic activism.
In 1976, she returned to Virginia to pursue her doctorate at George Washington University. At the same time, she embarked on a 30-year career with Arlington Public Schools, where she served as Supervisor of English for Speakers of Other Languages and High Intensity Language Training.
The profound impact of Emma’s work extends far beyond the classrooms and school in which she worked. She was an adjunct professor at Georgetown University for two decades, and she founded Escuela Bolivia to teach Spanish and culture to children who had lost their first language, English to their parents who had not acquired a second language, and leadership to children and their parents so they could take ownership of their futures. She established Virginia’s first Bilingual GED Program and led Project Family, offering services to Latino parents and other early-childhood caregivers, focusing on building parenting skills understanding prenatal and early childhood development.
Her work has reached communities across the United States and Latin America, and her scholarship includes numerous articles, book chapters, and monographs, and most recently her book, Dreams and Shadows: An Immigrant’s Journal.
Her accolades are many. Some of the highlights include: a Fulbright Fellowship, an American Association of University Women – American Fellowship, the James Hunter III - Human Rights Award, the Community Service Award from the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Washingtonian of the Year, the Arlington County Spirit of Community Award, and a joint resolution by the Virgina General Assembly Honoring her achievements in educational service to Arlington County. In 2024, Emma was honored with El Orgullo Boliviano (The Pride of Bolivians) due to her dedicated contribution to the Bolivian Community and other immigrant residents in the United States. And in Augst, she received the Freedom Award from the Bolivian American Heritage Foundation.
And now Emma, you can add another incredibly well-deserved award to your list.
Dr. Emma Violand-Sánchez exemplifies the very spirit of our Outstanding Alumni Award. She is a transformational leader, a distinguished professional, and a lifelong advocate for justice and education. Her legacy is one of courage, compassion, and unwavering commitment to community.