A Lifetime of Storytelling
Women’s History Month Profile: Veronique Masterson
Veronique Masterson
During Women’s History Month in March, we celebrate and reflect on the contributions of women across Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso and their impact on shaping our institution.
Stories can inform and entertain, but most importantly, they can change lives. This year, the National Women's History Alliance's theme for Women's History Month is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.”
Veronique Masterson, assistant vice president for marketing and communications with the Office of Institutional Advancement at TTUHSC El Paso, has had the pleasure of sharing people’s stories and experiences for nearly 20 years.
Masterson always knew she wanted to be a voice for our Borderplex community.
Several years ago, as a reporter and anchor for El Paso’s ABC television affiliate, Masterson interviewed an older woman who couldn’t afford dentures.
“She was desperate and paid for cheaper, ill-fitting dentures from someone who wasn’t qualified to make them,” Masterson said. “She’d tried to call him so he could make her a new pair, but he never answered. She’d also lost quite a bit of weight because she couldn’t eat properly. The minute I stepped off our studio set, Dr. Richard Black, president of the Texas Dental Association at the time – who also happened to be my orthodontist when I was younger – called me and asked if he could contact the woman and provide her with a set of professionally made dentures.”
Down the road, Dr. Black became the founding dean of the Hunt School of Dental Medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso.
“Now, years later, I regularly collaborate with Dr. Black and others on our campus to share the impact TTUHSC El Paso has on people’s lives, including providing dental care to underserved and underinsured El Pasoans.”
A Lifetime of Storytelling
In her role as assistant vice president for marketing and communications, Masterson has underscored the university’s impact in addressing the health care shortage in our Borderplex. She ensures her department highlights TTUHSC El Paso’s successes in providing medical and dental health care to all in our community, especially underserved populations, and educating future doctors, nurses, dentists and researchers in innovative learning environments.
Her scope of work at TTUHSC El Paso has been broad and all-inclusive. Masterson manages and oversees the university’s academic and clinical marketing campaigns, and directs the university’s social media presence. She also led the redesign of the institution’s clinical website and launched the university’s first alumni magazine, serving as its editor-in-chief.
However, she didn’t just become interested in storytelling as an adult.
As a child, she found herself glued to Headline News, especially when her family was stationed in Germany and her father was deployed during the Gulf War. It was the first time the public watched a war unfold on live television. Masterson was enthralled by the real-time reporting and the constant information.
In college, Masterson majored in communications and focused on storytelling with a purpose. A lifelong El Pasoan, she holds a bachelor’s degree in electronic media from the University of Texas at El Paso and a master’s degree in strategic public relations from George Washington University.
Telling memorable stories means having a good support system that encourages you to spread your wings.
“My parents always encouraged me to be myself, try new things, go outside of my comfort zone and blaze my own trail,” Masterson said. “I’ve had a number of mentors and leaders who’ve supported my goals while teaching and showing me how to be a kind, compassionate and thoughtful leader. I hope I provide the same support and guidance to those who look to me for leadership. I try to always lead by example. I feel honored when others share their goals with me and seek my input. I hope they benefit from my experiences and the lessons I’ve learned.”
Pushing Your Limits
Serving the community means learning as much about it as possible. One of the best ways to do that is by is by getting involved and giving back.
Masterson is a member of the board of directors for local media organization El Paso Matters, and is a community advisory board member for PBS El Paso. In 2022, she was named Marketing and Communications Committee Chair for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education District IV Conference. Masterson is also an active member of the Junior League of El Paso and recently served as co-chair of the organization's Provisional Project, which provided a day of respite and wellness for over 30 women from transitional living centers at the YWCA El Paso Del Norte Region and Center Against Sexual and Family Violence
When faced with a challenge, Masterson often thinks about how her mentors would approach the situation.
“I always try to approach a challenge with grace, be solution-oriented, provide constructive feedback and positive guidance,” Masterson said. “Once, when faced with a challenge I shared with a friend, she asked me, ‘How would you eat an elephant?’ I wasn’t sure how to respond because I hadn’t heard the metaphor before, and I was a bit surprised by the question. She replied, ‘One bite at a time.’ The resolution to a challenge is looking at the big picture, then approaching it one step at a time.”
While it is true that achieving goals often requires effort and dedication on the part of an individual, it is also true that success is rarely achieved entirely on one's own. Collaboration and support from others can be instrumental in helping individuals reach their goals.
“It’s important to surround yourself with your team of champions: friends, family, colleagues, mentors and leaders who support you, provide you with perspective and honest feedback, allow you to make mistakes, and help you grow,” Masterson said. “Find those people and keep them close.”
“The secret to success is going for your goal. You might fail, but you’ll have learned,” Masterson said. “Then you can try again.”
What Veronique Masterson is reading:
Thirty Talks Weird Love, by Alessandra Narváez Varela
Finding Me, by Viola Davis