Iliana Anaya, a doctoral candidate in couple, marriage, and family therapy at Texas Tech University, is drawing on her personal and professional experiences to help students develop a sense of belonging and practical life skills. After earning her undergraduate and master’s degrees from Texas Tech, Anaya stayed with the College of Health & Human Sciences for her doctorate to focus on creating inclusive spaces for those who feel like outsiders.
Anaya’s background includes six years as a licensed marriage and family therapist associate at the Lubbock County Juvenile Justice Center. There, she worked with young people facing significant challenges. She emphasized meeting individuals where they are without judgment and used techniques such as systemic reframing and collaborative language to foster trust.
Reflecting on her own time as an undergraduate student, Anaya recalls feeling isolated when she first arrived at Texas Tech in 2017. “I wanted to be someone who people could look up to and think, ‘I can do it. I can be in higher education. I have a space here, and I’m wanted,” Anaya said. “That was the biggest thing for me. I wanted to pave the path for anybody who may not feel they have the opportunity or the drive to do it. You can. It takes a lot of work, but it’s definitely worth it.”
Her approach as an instructor centers on what she calls “freedom to fail.” She aims to create an environment where students feel secure enough to take risks without fear that mistakes will jeopardize their future prospects. “Too many students operate in constant fight-or-flight, so terrified of failure that they never stretch themselves or grow,” she observed. “That fear doesn’t just make learning harder. It halts growth.”
Anaya is now helping develop CARS 2310—a new course under Texas Tech’s TechThrive initiative—designed to provide students with practical tools for navigating college life and building community connections more systematically than before. The course moves away from traditional lectures in favor of hands-on activities such as campus exploration, attending university events included in tuition, and engaging with guest speakers from various campus services.
“If you show up and give 100%, there’s no reason you shouldn’t do well in the class,” Anaya explained.
Students will learn how to balance academics with social life and personal time, set boundaries, have difficult conversations, and access campus resources effectively—skills that Anaya says are essential beyond college.
The course also offers tangible recognition: students who complete CARS 2310 earn the “Mindful Matador” designation along with a special graduation cord.
“I want them to be able to apply this to real life,” Anaya said. “I want them to look back 10 years later and say, ‘I learned that in Iliana’s class, and I’m still using it.’”
“You can’t pour from an empty cup,” she added—a mantra that guides both her teaching philosophy and her emphasis on self-care.
CARS 2310 is open to all Texas Tech students interested in developing practical skills for wellbeing and community engagement.
