Crystal Mendoza graduated magna cum laude from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) with a degree in Rehabilitation Sciences and a concentration in Speech-Language Pathology. She was selected as one of the College of Health Sciences' ten Outstanding Seniors in 2026.

At N’MORE, Crystal contributed to TMS/EEG data collection and analysis and research on motor recovery after stroke. She presented her research at scientific meetings and received Best in Category awards at two UTEP COURI research symposia. She also contributed to a publication on stroke recovery. Before joining the lab, Crystal conducted neurobiology research through the Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program at UTEP–EPCC.

Following graduation, Crystal went on to pursue a master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Texas at Austin, supported by a competitive full fellowship.