by Samantha Mendoza
Not everyone is lucky enough to have a life-changing mentor. Even fewer have the chance to work next door to their close friend. Gaby Aquino, Ph.D. (B.A. ’19), has both. And it all began in a Psychology classroom at St. Mary’s.
A first-generation student originally from Monterrey, Mexico, Aquino began her college journey as a Communications major. She enrolled in a General Psychology course as an elective in Spring 2016, where she met Professor of Psychology Jillian Pierucci, Ph.D. — the woman who would change the course of her life.
“The second I met her, I realized I was in the wrong major,” Aquino said. “I wanted to be under her guidance. I wanted more time in the environment she created.”
A specialist in developmental psychology, Pierucci manages an early intervention partnership with the Brighton Center, a San Antonio nonprofit serving children with disabilities and developmental delays. She also leads global initiatives in Zambia, where she previously worked at an orphanage and developed a lasting connection.
Drawn to Pierucci’s warmth and genuine support for her students — as well as their shared background as first-generation college students — Aquino changed her major to Psychology. The two quickly formed a connection that helped Aquino discover opportunities that felt made for her, including supporting Pierucci’s research on child development in Zambia and becoming a McNair Scholar, which prepares undergraduate students for doctoral studies.
“Everything felt like it was unfolding exactly as it was meant to for me,” Aquino said. “My mother was an educator, and once I started taking classes on child development, I started learning the concepts and science behind what I’ve felt passionately about my whole life.”
“Everything felt like it was unfolding exactly as it was meant to for me. My mother was an educator, and once I started taking classes on child development, I started learning the concepts and science behind what I’ve felt passionately about my whole life.”
— Gaby Aquino, Ph.D. (B.A. ’19)
Throughout her time as a student, Aquino conducted research on parenting and child development, even presenting research at the American Educational Research Association in New York City. Then, Aquino pursued her doctorate at the University of Texas at Austin (Pierucci’s alma mater), where she specialized in culturally sensitive research, specifically with Latino families.
All the while, she met regularly with Pierucci for support, guidance and encouragement.
“She really played an imperative role in who I am as a researcher and a woman now,” Aquino said of Pierucci. “She saw that potential in me and taught me how I could use my abilities to advance society and science. She’s been a mentor to me in every sense of the word.”
After completing her Ph.D., Aquino received the offer to return to St. Mary’s as an adjunct faculty member in the Psychology Department. She created her own course, Growing Up Latino, which explores development and family systems within the Latino cultural context.
As a faculty member, Aquino is committed to having the same impact on others that Pierucci has had on her.
“I always knew in my heart that my home was at St. Mary’s,” Aquino said. Pierucci saw something in me that I didn’t. She allowed me to dream. And now I get to be a part of the ripple effect, helping the next generation be impacted by one person’s mentorship.”
Now colleagues and friends with offices right next to each other, Aquino and Pierucci embody the enduring ripple effect of St. Mary’s mentorship.
“Our story really is the heartbeat of St. Mary’s,” Pierucci said. “This is what we stand for. We get to know our students, we truly sit around the table together, and we go through life with one another.”
