I have grown up academically and professionally in AAHHE, the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education. During my time with this organization, I earned my doctorate, secured my first tenure-track position, transitioned to another tenure-track position and earned tenure. I continue to keep my eye on my goal of securing full professor and know that a portion of my growth and development through these years is the result of the relationships built through AAHHE.

I was selected as a graduate student fellow in 2000 as part of the Hispanic Caucus of the now defunct American Association of Higher Education, when AAHHE was still an emerging idea. I recall candid conversations with the Hispanic Caucus leadership about the importance of growing Latina/o talent and leaders and serving as a voice for Latina/o populations in higher education. The leadership, under Dr. Loui Olivas, had the foresight to create a new organization with an explicit focus on Latinas/os across all levels of postsecondary education and to be transparent and unapologetic about this goal with its members, including those of us still in graduate training programs.

In 2007, I was selected into the AAHHE Faculty Fellows Program. Shortly after that, I was invited to serve as a co-chair of the Faculty Fellows Program with Dr. Kenny Gonzalez and then with Dr. Louie Rodriguez, followed by Dr. Rebeca Burciaga and Dr. Luis Urrieta. We worked directly with the AAHHE Board of Directors, a diverse set of voices with varied academic and professional backgrounds. The board collectively nurtures intergenerational relationships and introduces emerging Latina/o faculty to the realities of working at multiple levels and across multiple areas, from advancing scholarship to securing sponsorship, all while recognizing the excellence in the Latina/o community. To watch and participate in how organizations make decisions opened my eyes to the complexities of planning and relationship building.

Navigating institutions and balancing careers with personal commitments is an endeavor that has no easy path, but the ongoing support of the AAHHE community serves as a continual reminder of how this path does not have to be walked alone and helps keep us moving forward. These experiences remind me that it truly does take a village. Working with my co-chairs, the graduate and faculty fellows, and the board of directors instilled in me the importance of having a voice and vision, encouraged me to be firm in my values to defend decisions, but also to have humility and acceptance for the diversity of experiences of the students, faculty, staff and administrators that interact together at AAHHE.

AAHHE is a place to come home to and to meet new members of the familia. The lessons learned from my time within AAHHE are the importance of being a forward thinker and the willingness to evolve, to remain relevant in an ever-changing academic environment. To now watch my own students come through the organization and be honored serve as reminders of how we are truly connected, and the common link is the environment that AAHHE creates. •