It's crazy to think how much I've gone through and how much I've overcome these past two years. Bigger than that, I am grateful that I have been able to reach this moment in my life.
For my graduate symposium, I was selected to present on some of the work I've done during the past two years of graduate school. I picked a topic I have grown passionate about, especially from working at FIU and that is my work with Latino/s students. I titled my presentation: "Un Futuro con Esperanza (A Future with Hope): Access, Choice, and Retention of Latino/a Students in Higher Education." Essentially, it was about how it was important to not only make sure Latino/a students have the opportunity to get into college, but also make sure that they graduate with their degrees.
The background story comes from my experience as an undergraduate student. I remember sitting in my education classes as a freshman in college learning about the attainment gap. This gap that existed between minorities and education. It was shown by statistics. It was there; It was all there. People who identified themselves as minorities were barely graduating high school. I was lucky enough to be in college, sitting in that chair.
I remember leaving class that day feeling disheartened, knowing that the odds were against me. Yet, I guess I always had a little part of me that knew I was going to do whatever I needed to do to get my Bachelor's degree. Internally, I knew I was going to succeed, but I did not realize (until later on) the value it was to be a Latina with her Bachelor's degree.
I give all this credit to my mentor for calling me out one day in her office. I was in my junior year of college and I was still taking education classes and we had to bring in something from our culture and talk about it in class to share and learn about different cultures. I remember going into her office, telling her about my assignment and I tried to borrow something from her office as a quick escape from looking into something from my own culture, but she wouldn't let me. She told me that I had embrace who I was and it caught me a little off guard. She was right though. I was avoiding a part of me that was probably the most visible part of me: my identity as a Latina.
From that moment, I began to learn more about my culture and get more involved in Latino-related events and organizations in college. I began to appreciate my culture and learned to value what I brought to the table as a Latina instead of avoiding it, as I had in the past. I began to see that the challenges and barriers I faced in my life were more than just my challenges. They were challenges that mi cultura faced.
When I started to see this and realize that I was a part of something bigger than myself, I knew I had found my passion. I chose FIU because of the population of students--because I realize that it was my responsibility to help others like me. Education was the way minorities would become successful and I wanted to be that person to make sure I helped Latino/as not only get into college, but make sure they get an education and graduate.
And, so, I dedicated the past two years to this and have now dedicated my whole life to it.
The numbers are disheartening. While about 87% of Latinos value higher education, only 13% of them have a degree.
WHY isn't this number higher?
There are so many challenges based on identity, finances and culture. Right now, our minority students are not being supported as much as they should be, as much as they need to be--and something needs to be done.
So, to my 18-year old self and all those other minority students sitting in those high school and college classrooms: it is possible. You will earn your degrees. You are the future.
You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read.
You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride.
You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore.
We have seen the future, and the future is ours. -Cesar Chavez
