The Influential Leaders of San Antonio’s Westside
Joseph Gershtenson and Cynthia Rodríguez
This story map is part of St. Mary’s University’s Westside San Antonio Humanities Project. The project aims to uncover aspects of the Westside’s history and culture and share results with the public. This component is part of a collaborative research effort by Cynthia Rodriguez, a student (now having graduated) in St. Mary’s Master of Public Administration (MPA) program, and Dr. Joe Gershtenson, faculty member of the Department of Political Science and director of the MPA program. Credit for work on audio files, biographies, and mapping in ArcGIS also goes to Citlalli Rivera of St. Mary’s University.
In January and February 2021, Ms. Rodriguez interviewed seven individuals with roots in the Westside and/or currently serving the community. The aim was to examine the individuals as leaders with particular attention to the role of their experiences on the Westside. In addition to contributing to St. Mary’s University’s Westside San Antonio Humanities Project, Ms. Rodriguez completed an academic research paper as part of her studies in the MPA program. That paper can be accessed here.
