Two seasoned advisors have joined the school’s staff.

(Header Photo: Dwenette Stevenson, second from right, and Candice Mallory, far right, join Texas Tech K-12's advising staff that includes Roslyn Davis, left, Brittany Perez and Charlotte Ward, center.)

As Texas Tech K-12 has said goodbye to some longtime advisors in the past few months, two experienced women have been welcomed into the family.

Dwenette Stevenson (alpha G-K) began on commencement day in May, and Candice Mallory (alpha C-F) started in June. Each brings experience, compassion and a drive to help students and families through the educational process. 

Braxton Allison, principal, says the advising team is a crucial element for success at Texas Tech K-12, connecting full-time students to the school through strong relationships, effective academic guidance and critical needs support.

“Dwenette and Candice come to us with unique backgrounds as educators that position them well to support our students at the highest standard,” he said. “Their expertise in different aspects of education strengthens our team, and their passion for serving students ensures that we continue to foster the relationship-building and connectivity that support student success.”

Making Memorable Experiences

Dwenette Stevenson wants to make K-12 unique for each student. After nearly 20 years in education at all levels, Stevenson knows how important it is to form connections with students and their families and to treat each learner like the unique human they are. 

“Many years ago, while serving as a substitute teacher in my local school district, I witnessed firsthand the pressure placed on students surrounding state testing,” Stevenson said. “As both a parent and a substitute, I saw how easily a student's value could become tied to a test score rather than their individual growth and potential. 

“I knew that I was capable of creating a learning environment that did not focus on testing, but rather growth. That experience inspired me to pursue a career in education.”

For the next 10 years, she attended college part-time to earn her degree with the goal of making a meaningful difference in the lives of students and to help create learning environments that focus on growth, relationships and success beyond standardized tests. 

Pursuing work at Texas Tech was a natural step for her. Her husband is Texas Ranger Lt. Scott Stevenson, who provides security for head football coach Joey McGuire and the Texas Tech Red Raiders, as well as other athletes and coaches, and her son Brandon is a strength and conditioning coach for Texas Tech football. 

What persuaded her to work at Texas Tech K-12 is the growing reputation it has in providing a quality educational opportunity for students who do not fit the brick-and-mortar mold in education and need a different educational journey.

In her advisor position at Texas Tech K-12, she helps students and families select the best courses to take, monitors academic progress and ensures students stay on track to meet their graduation goals. 

“The most satisfying aspect of my work is that I get to connect with families and make their experience at Texas Tech K-12 memorable,” Stevenson said. “I am the face of Texas Tech for my assigned families, so I want that interaction to be the best.”

Building Confidence for Next Steps

Candice Mallory has spent her career at the intersection of technology and people. She started out as a programmer and analyst, including building a web-based training system for Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. 

“After a decade in the tech industry, I wanted work that felt more connected to people, not just systems,” Mallory explained. “Teaching gave me a way to take what I knew about structure and problem-solving and use it to help students through something new, whether that was their first line of code or their first real decision about what comes after high school. There’s something different about watching a person grow in real time, especially when you see them go from unsure to confident.”

She spent the next 17 years at Lubbock-Cooper High School building computer science, cybersecurity and robotics programs from the ground up. She also picked up a master’s degree in education technology along the way, which fed right into her move to Texas Tech K-12.

Much of Mallory’s work over the years had already shifted toward helping students figure out their next steps, whether that meant guiding upperclassmen through college and trade options or working through questions with their families. The advisor role at Texas Tech K-12 felt like a natural extension of work she was already doing, just with the chance to focus on it directly instead of fitting it in around everything else. 

“The flexible, fully online model was part of the draw too,” Mallory said. “It meant reaching students who need a different kind of school day, while still doing the advising work I care about. The K-12 focus and the connection to Texas Tech made it an easy yes.”

Mallory says her biggest point of pride comes down to making sure every student has a clear next step and someone they can count on to help them get there.

“For me, it’s the moment a student goes from feeling stuck or unsure to having a clear path forward,” Mallory says confidently. “Whether that’s helping someone figure out their next step after high school or just making sure a family has the information they need to stop worrying, there’s something really rewarding about being the person who makes that process feel manageable. After 17 years in the classroom, I still get the most satisfaction from knowing I helped someone move forward with more confidence than they had before.”