I grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada in a predominantly Latinx community. My parents made the move to Las Vegas from El Centro, California, in 1993 when I was only two years old. Growing up in a predominantly Latinx part of Las Vegas, I was surrounded by my Mexican culture and cultures of people throughout Latin America. When I started my higher education at a community college, I was still surrounded by a diverse student body and felt like part of a community. While there, I developed a deep passion for the biological sciences. I transferred to the University of Nevada, Reno to complete my undergraduate degree, finished with a B.S./M.S. in biotechnology and began a Ph.D. program. My research focuses on a subset of small molecules that inhibit the growth of plants and fungi. The goal is to assess their herbicidal and fungicidal properties, and to utilize them as novel tools to probe difficult-to-study biological process in plants such as the cell wall.

Shortly after starting my Ph.D., I started feeling isolated. Not only did I feel a sense of tokenism in the classroom as one of the few individuals of Latinx decent, but also among my Latinx peers as one of the few who studied life science. Therefore, I mentally put all my focus in my classes and research in the laboratory to drown out what I felt, effectively numbing myself to who I am. I first heard of the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) from a mentor who recommended that I apply for the 2020 graduate fellows program. As someone who is nearing the completion of my doctoral program, I honestly saw it more as an opportunity to network and get advice on finding employment. The experience I had at AAHHE was both what I expected and something I never thought I would experience.

Many of the workshops I attended did indeed help with preparing to enter the job market. I met plenty of Latinx professionals and scholars, and observed some scientific research presentations where I got to “nerd out” a bit. What I did not expect was the dynamic I had with my cohort that elevated my experience with AAHHE in profound ways. In the short period of time I spent with them, I had a deep emotional and spiritual experience that allowed me to feel like myself, something I haven’t felt in a long time. It resulted in a reevaluation of my career goals and led me to the conclusion that my goal is to create a lab and classroom space for students of color and help them gain research experience in an inclusive space.

The experience I had at AAHHE was both what I expected and something I never thought I would experience.

The 2020 cohort experience inspired each of us to commit to AAHHE’s growth – to build upon its foundation and make it a more inclusive space for everyone who attends.  •