Texas State alumna is redefining what it means to lead

​When Annabel Cardoza first came to Texas State University, she thought she knew where her career was headed.
​
Cardoza arrived in San Marcos in 2021 with plans to attend law school. She chose to pursue a BBA in management at the university’s McCoy College of Business because she saw it as a degree that would prepare her for law school while also giving her the flexibility to pursue other career opportunities if law school didn’t pan out.
​
Cardoza said she was drawn to Texas State because of the people, university traditions, and the San Marcos River.
​
“When I toured the school, I met so many amazing people, and everybody was so welcoming and so nice," she said. "There were so many things that made Texas State special, like jumping in the river during graduation and having a river run through the school.”
​
Today, Cardoza is the CEO of Decade Day Service, a community-based day program serving adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She earned a master’s degree in management and leadership from the University of Houston, is considering pursuing a Ph.D. in organizational behavior, and has a long-term goal of becoming a professor.
​
Despite viewing business as the primary pathway to law school, she changed her mind as she became more involved in the McCoy College Community.
​
Cardoza said management professors Dr. Stephanie Solansky and Dr. Josh Daspit played a role in influencing her decision to pursue a career in business management, while the college’s corporate, alumni, and partnership manager, Wendi Fitch Rios, “played a different, but equally meaningful, role” by keeping her connected to and engaged with the college after graduation.

“What stands out to me is that their support didn't end when I graduated,” she said. “They've continued to give me advice, include me in opportunities, challenge the way that I think and encourage me to consider possibilities I would not have considered otherwise.”
​
Those relationships helped Cardoza rethink what she wanted from a career and what it meant to be a leader. She said her professors helped her develop a different understanding of leadership based on influence, impact, and service.
​
Cardoza's career in disability services began shortly after she moved to San Marcos. In 2021, she took a job as a rehabilitation technician working with individuals with brain injuries.

It was there that she met Jonathan Fraley, who would eventually become the founder and owner of Decade Day Service.
​
Cardoza and Fraley shared a commitment to the people they served and began talking about what community-based services could look like.

“We both really cared about the people that we served,” Cardoza said. “We also had a lot of conversations about what we thought services could look like if community involvement weren't something people had to earn as a reward.”
​
The two envisioned a program in which participation in the community was part of everyday life rather than something earned through a reward system.
​
After graduating in 2024, Cardoza stepped into the role of CEO of Decade Day Service, where she now helps translate many of those early conversations into the day-to-day work of building and growing the organization.
​
Her education provided a foundation for the work, but Cardoza said her relationships and experiences with people have been just as important to her development as a leader.
​
“Learning to talk with people without an agenda in mind or intentions behind the conversation and just really getting in front of somebody to actually listen to what they're saying and care about what they're saying is why I am where I am today,” she said.
​
Becoming a CEO also gave Cardoza a new perspective on the difference between learning about leadership and actually practicing it.
​
She said one of her biggest challenges has been finding the balance between preserving the relational strengths that make a team successful while creating the professional structure necessary for an organization to grow.

“As an organization grows, you need systems, consistency and accountability, but you also have to be intentional about preserving the trust and relationships that make those systems work,” she said.
​
Looking back at her own experience, Cardoza said one of the biggest lessons she has learned since graduating is the importance of taking advantage of the resources available to students.
​
While working two jobs and completing her degree, she did not always take advantage of opportunities such as office hours or building relationships with professors.
​
Her advice to current McCoy College students is to start early.
​
“I'd say don't wait until graduation to realize what you have access to,” Cardoza said. “Go to office hours,  talk to your professors, build genuine relationships, attend things even when you're busy. Ask questions and take advantage of the resources that McCoy College and Texas State provide.” ✯