Finding Belonging in the Aahhe Community

I began my journey with the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) when its founding leadership was the Hispanic Caucus of the American Association of Higher Education. I applied and was admitted to its fellows program in 2003 and became the group chair in 2004. While I was working as a Harvard graduate student for Patricia Marin, a former fellow, she encouraged me to apply saying it would be worth it. The larger association eventually disbanded, and the Hispanic Caucus would become its own organization known as AAHHE. During this time, I was given publishing opportunities that helped me solidify a path toward tenure. AAHHE invested in me as a graduate student and well into my professorship. I accepted their invitation to join the board in 2017. 
The most important resource gained from my early involvement in this organization was a family of young scholars also in a similar struggle. I met long-time friends, co-authors, mentors and role models. These are not resources you can put a value on in the academy. I took the road of public policy, which meant there would be few women and even fewer Latinos in these spaces. However, because I had a strong sense of belonging with my family of mentors and friends in AAHHE, I was able to pursue my opportunities and needs at Harvard and then at Vanderbilt as an assistant professor with less fear and more confidence. I knew I had a family of academics rooting for me. This is what we did for one another. Nos dabamos fuerza — we gave each other strength.  
Like any organization, there are places to grow and mend. I grew up in Edinburg, Texas, near the border, where there was no shortage of Mexican-American role models. We had Latino judges, teachers, professors, lawyers and doctors. But the barriers for women remained stark and solid. This is something we are still working on as an organization, and because they trained me to be strong and courageous, I am also not likely to be silent about this issue. We all grow stronger when we allow each other to be free.  
I was recently promoted to associate dean of Faculty Development and Diversity at NYU. My entry into leadership, I realized, had been slowly integrated into my academic DNA because of AAHHE. It showed me leadership was necessary — that we will grow as representatives of Latino students if we can take on more than is necessary for those that come after us. Someone did that before us. I remember one Latino vice president say that to move up you sometimes have to be mobile, go to places you didn’t think you’d go. He was right in many ways. However, what he didn’t quite say directly is that you could find the strength to do this when you have your community behind you. To those thinking of taking these leaps and others, know your community will stand with you. I want that to be true every time and will work hard for it to be so. •