From the onset of my first year as a doctoral student at the University of California, Davis, several peers and faculty members had referenced their involvement in the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) and how life changing being part of that network was for them. I presented at NASPA (National Association of Student Personnel Administrators) later that year where my interaction with Dr. David Perez II solidified AAHHE as the community I needed to be part of. I was inspired by his testimony and enthusiasm regarding AAHHE and knew that what had been missing from my doctoral education was precisely that, a community of fellow Latino graduate students who were committed to serving the community through their research and work.

Through the support of Drs. Adela de la Torre, Marcela Cuellar and Patricia Quijada, I prepared my third application to the Graduate Fellows Program this past year. Each year I applied, I met AAHHE Graduate Fellows who described the experiences and relationships they cultivated through the program. Now, as a current AAHHE Graduate Fellow, I fully understand the significance of this intimate and intentional space. In meeting my cohort members, each represented distinct passions for issues relating to Latinos in higher education, while collectively manifesting the power of interdisciplinary and culturally relevant approaches. Particularly, I appreciated the opportunity to be part of a research symposium where I shared my research and, through feedback, thought deeply about ways to share my research to audiences beyond my discipline. Moreover, it was refreshing to learn about the innovative and compelling research my cohort members were part of, and to know that they will be my future colleagues.

Similarly, having the opportunity to connect with AAHHE Faculty Fellows allowed me to envision the academy in distinct ways. I have infinite appreciation for Dr. Xamuel Bañales, my faculty mentor, who demonstrated a different way of approaching the academy and invited me to think about what grounds me as a scholar. Interacting with other AAHHE Faculty Fellows through programmed sessions and networking opportunities represented much more than the candid advice that was shared, but embodied incarnate that “you lift as you climb.”

As I returned to my campus after the AAHHE annual conference, I approached my third year in the education Ph.D. program with a distinct mind, heart and spirit. Participating in the AAHHE Graduate Fellows Program was life-changing; I realized that I am part of a legacy of Latinos who have dedicated their lives to serving our community. The work that my cohort members and I are part of contribute to the larger efforts of those Latinos who paved the path for us to do so. My degree and my career in this context is part of a collective effort much larger than I originally imagined. I am part of a community committed to transformation.

While I remain committed to serve as a faculty member and aim to interrogate issues of student retention as they relate to structural inequities in higher education, I feel equipped with the tools necessary to successfully navigate my degree program and future career endeavors. I look forward to ways in which I too can continue the efforts of support and community AAHHE well represents. •