Hispanic women/Latinas are very much encouraged and strengthened by the presence and assistance of the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE). My own experience is one example of the empowerment we women receive through AAHHE as we envision our goals and move forward. In 2017, my dissertation, “The Brown Glass Ceiling? A Qualitative Study of Hispanic Women/Latinas Leaders in Higher Education” won third place in the AAHHE outstanding dissertation competition. This recognition had, and continues to have, a significant impact on my professional and personal life. Just knowing that I count within a familia of researchers who sincerely care for each other’s lives and research efforts is impressive. From the relationships I built through my experiences with AAHHE, I have been able to keep in touch with Dr. Ivonne Ortiz-Claisse, director of Hispanics Inspiring Students’ Performance and Achievement (HISPA) and member of ETS, or Educational Testing Service, who is writing the foreword for my book, “Overcoming Barriers to Hispanic Women/Latinas in Higher Education,” and with Dr. Loui Olivas, president of AAHHE, who has written a review of this book.

This year, I will submit a new article for publication, “¡Mi esencia es mi valor! Essence & Courage Portraiture of Hispanic Women/Latinas Navigating Higher Education Institutions.” My own research is part of a larger qualitative, phenomenological study that investigated the experiences of 25 Hispanic women/Latinas to understand their perceptions about their opportunities for leadership. This study illustrates the essential aspects of participants’ consciousness, courage and resilience, and the importance of maintaining their personal and cultural identities regardless of barriers, negative myths or inadequate resources.

The March 2020 AAHHE conference was full of inspiring colleagues and new researchers. This time around, because I am now experienced with the conference, I was able to start mentoring two young female researchers who, after my presentation, told me that they felt empowered and validated as a result of the information presented. This is why AAHHE is of great value to Hispanic women/Latinas – they are strengthened by this positive influence and are eager to pass it on to new generations. This is how our esencia, our values, personal skills and integrity, can be honored and passed on. During my presentation, we learned the five essentials of portraiture (Lawrence-Lightfoot and Davis, 1997), the leadership domains (Barrón, 2016), and to appreciate how ultimately it has been our courage that has allowed us to move forward, to envision our goals as completed and to understand the importance of self-care. We must remember always that our esencia is our courage! •

Reference

Barrón, D. I. (2016). “The Brown Glass Ceiling? A Qualitative Study Of Hispanic Women/Latinas Leaders in Higher Education, Doctoral dissertation, University of Missouri, Columbia.”

Lawrence-Lightfoot, S., Hoffman Davis, J. (1997). “The Art and Science of Portraiture” San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.