Though we returned to Texas and Mexico every year, growing up in a predominately white environment forced me to learn how to navigate spaces oftentimes as the only person and woman of color. Similar to many Latinx individuals, these experiences continued as I furthered my educational and professional goals at predominantly white institutions (PWIs). As a first-year doctoral student at Texas A&M University, I was introduced to the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) by attending and presenting at the 2015 national conference. This was my first participation at a national research conference where I was surrounded by Latinx scholars, administrators and students who shared similar backgrounds, struggles and success stories. Because of this initial experience, I wanted to return to the national conference as an AAHHE Graduate Fellow to be a part of a research community that shared the same passion to serve the Latinx population.

Being a part of the 2020 AAHHE Graduate Fellows Program, I was given an opportunity to share my research agenda, as well as engage with other Latinx individuals from diverse academic disciplines. My research is within higher education where I explore how higher education policies influence the educational experiences of Latinx and other minoritized communities. My future career goals include working as a higher education upper-level administrator and faculty member where I can cultivate a campus environment that creates inclusion, fosters mentoring relationships between faculty and students, and builds a sense of community for our students. I appreciate the professional space the Graduate Fellows Program provided where I was able to receive feedback and gain new perspectives on not only my research, but my future career trajectory. Each presenter was willing to share their journey, resources and their network, which was significant since I was in the middle of my job search.

Personally, the community I built with other graduate fellows helped me reenergize and stay motivated to continue with my research as I move forward in my professional career. It was an empowering space to learn and grow with other graduate fellows while pushing for change. Ultimately, I believe the relationships and collaborations I developed as a graduate fellow will be invaluable throughout my personal and professional career.

Since my AAHHE Graduate Fellows experience, I graduated with my Ph.D. from Texas A&M University during the COVID-19 pandemic where, like many others, I had to learn to manage personal challenges and a job search where there were many unknowns. Though the way we manage our personal and work lives are changing, I hope to continue to find ways to help other Latinx students and give back to my community. With a current political climate that regularly promotes nativism, xenophobia and anti-Blackness, my graduate fellows experience reminded me it is even more critical to find ways to work together on behalf of our community through organizations like AAHHE.  •