Nearly twenty years ago, Carolina Hernández Muñoz’s life was quietly redirected by a flyer handed to her in the halls of Hays High School in Buda, Texas. As the daughter of immigrants—her father, a welder from Ciudad Juárez, and her mother, a social worker from Parral, Chihuahua—education was deeply valued in her family. However, the intricacies of the U.S. college system were unfamiliar. Her parents worked tirelessly. Carolina’s mom cleaned houses and her dad was in construction. Although they supported Carolina in her college quest, the tangible support she needed to attend college came from her College Possible coach.
After graduating high school in 2007, Carolina began college at Southwestern University before transferring to St. Edward’s University, where a scholarship and grant helped her graduate in 2011. She majored in Spanish, focusing on Latin American literature, and minoring in French, reflecting her early fascination with language and culture. Soon after, she met her future husband, a statistician from Paris who was studying in Austin. Eventually, the couple would relocate to France.
By 2014, Carolina lived in Paris and pursued a master’s degree in art history at the Sorbonne, focusing on women in art history and amplifying women’s voices often sidelined in historical narratives.
Now as a project manager for a nonprofit, Carolina brings women’s stories to life for a global audience, making them accessible in both French and English. She organizes conversations and convenes thought leaders worldwide, pushing for greater equity in museum collections and challenging long-standing biases in curating and remembering art. Recently, she was at a conference alongside some of the most influential figures in the art world, a moment that underscored how far she’s come.
The lessons Carolina learned during those early years continue to resonate. College taught her more than academics; it taught her how to think critically, advocate for herself, and see connections between people, systems, and ideas. These lessons became essential tools, complemented by meaningful connections and pivotal decisions, building toward something greater. From a flyer handout to a career bridging art, advocacy, and equity, her story reflects the power of being seen and supported with a future just waiting to be framed.
First picture: Carolina and her husband
Second picture: Uganda and Hong Kong gathered at the Palais de Tokyo to co-construct a transnational network of independent arts collectives highlighting women artists and their work. The photo, taken by Mélanie Zougheib (c) AWARE: Archives of Women Artists, Research & Exhibitions, captures a moment from November 7 during round-table discussions. The first session was moderated alongside a colleague.
