In May 2008, Schliesinger participated in Reporting China, a five-week program of the University of Texas School of Journalism. Schliesinger has previously served as director of public relations at Southwest Mental Health Center, a nonprofit children's psychiatric hospital. Before she worked for Montemayor & Asociados, a Hispanic advertising agency. She has served on the board of directors of the San Antonio Association of Hispanic Journalists, the San Antonio Women's Chamber of Commerce and the San Antonio chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. Schliesinger received the 2006 PRSA Del Oro Horizon Award and was named "Employee of the Year" at Southwest Mental Health Center in 2006. She received the San Antonio Business Journal Health Care Hero Award for Community Outreach in 2005.