Latinx and Higher Education
There is so much excitement in envisioning the profession and career you work towards, but not many speak about the mental strength and perseverance you need to get there. Higher education for Latinx students provides many first exposures to professional development, personal growth, and self-advocacy. First-generation and Latinx students bear the weight of improving their lives and those of their families who have sacrificed to nurture their socioeconomic independence. There has been a notable rise in Hispanic students earning higher education degrees: the number of bachelor’s degrees earned has increased from 9.8% to 17.0% between 2011 and 2022 (National Center for Education Statistics, 2023). In 2023, Hispanics/Latinos represented 19.1% of the U.S. population but only account for 6% of the leading healthcare workforce, creating a gap in educational and health advocacy for the Latinx community (AAMC, 2018 & Hispanic/Latino Health, 2025).
The Ups and Downs in my Journey
As a first-generation college graduate, I began my journey with no direction other than being interested in healthcare and business; thus, I was doing the minimum amount of work to pursue my career goal. I later realized in my junior/senior year that I needed to reframe my mindset from “C’s get degrees” to “C’s do not get you into graduate school”. Therefore, I raised my GPA from 2.5 to 3.0 within a few quarters, overloading on courses and consistently making the Dean’s list. This pivoting realization occurred when I received a scholarship to join a select group in Chicago for the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) Conference. Witnessing many ethnically and economically similar participants creating a pathway for reaching their goals motivated me and heightened my exposure to a professional development community.
At the same time, the developmental journey can inadvertently inflict negative mental health experiences. For instance, during a hiring process with a well-known and highly regarded hospital, I received a follow-up after a group interview on the status of my application. The interviewer wrote in an email, “.... yeah they’re not emailing you back. sorry sweetie maybe next time. Toodles!” This condescending email caused self-doubt, hindering my confidence to speak in professional environments and future interviews. Higher education prepares students to face interviews, to recognize leadership styles, and to acquire ways to navigate these varying approaches in the workplace. However, more conversations and reflection should focus on how organizations need to be held accountable for causing mental harm to Latinos during this stage in their early-career development, and for failing to provide mentoring and support in the workforce.
Encouraging Professional Growth Success
These early-career experiences shape the foundation of how we perceive ourselves when actively engaging with networks, enhancing our skills, and opening conversations. This period is for taking advantage of career advancement opportunities, training in relevant programs and certifications, and beginning to establish a support network. Professional growth can be supported in the following ways:
1. Presenting career advancement opportunities that assist competitiveness and resumé enhancement. They can stem from volunteerism, internships, administrative residency, and fellowships. Residency and fellowships provide added mentorship and improve skills with executive guidance in various operations management departments. Though competitive, these openings generate the ability to break through that entry-level position and land a leadership role, while tailoring the experience in a learning environment for the next healthcare leader.
As an early careerist looking for an introduction to health careers, Health Scholar programs are another avenue of professional preparation. Closely related to volunteering, these programs enhance your experience by introducing you to the healthcare environment, inner operations, career workshops with executive presentations, and peer-to-peer support.
2. Expanding the student's skill set by proposing opportunities to become familiar with multi-interface programs and potential certifications or licensing. Look into courses you can enroll in that offer certification, from being CPR certified to IT Network support certified. Being involved with the COPE Health Scholar program provided me with insight into all levels of professions within the healthcare system. I provided direct patient support but also participated in navigating care for pediatric vaccinations, training supervision, and development as a department coordinator, among other leadership positions. This experience familiarized me with various computer interfaces for health records, member verifications, managing health profiles, and human resource skills in compliance. Coupled with my education, it prepared me for county-level patient services using my voice to assist my community with language translation, health insurance management, and effectively streamlining prompt patient care access.
3. Networking creates openness to guidance and support, and as mentors, educators, or staff members in higher education, we become the initial advocate for students’ career and mental health. Networking with like-minded scholars and colleagues can lead to motivation, support, and constructive feedback.Professional and personal networking provide valuable perspectives for identifying areas of improvement and navigating challenges by focusing on goals. I often find my network assisting me in overcoming my self-doubt with encouragement and reassurance that my education, experiences, and determination make me an asset as I journey through my career in health administration.
As scholars and future professionals, there are many memberships to apply for, specifically aimed toward the Latino community. They touch on issues such as overcoming disparities by enhancing educational awareness and raising representation in leadership and health culture. Associations such as AAHHE are an avenue to establish communication with executive mentors, job boards, scholarships, and much more. Promoting these affiliations establishes platforms for communication at every career level and clarity for the kind of leader Latinx/Hispanic students strive to be, while upholding a sense of cultural pride. Explore all the avenues and find the best path that amplifies and speaks to your goals and journey; all we can do is take advantage of the doors open to us and for us and make our best effort.
As an alumnus of a Hispanic Serving Institution, I believe that we should highlight collaborations for understanding and navigating potential bias, as well as investing in initiatives to create equitable and inclusive progress. More recently, the importance of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility programs, which address systemic barriers and conduct violations in order to support growth and decrease community exclusion are as important as ever, with mental health at the forefront on many platforms today. Evolution for better practices and behavior begins with one person: you. It may seem cliché, but we should “be the change”: bring uncomfortable topics to the table to stimulate thought processes and recognize that we are breaking through barriers rather than being comfortable with the status quo.
Citations
“Digest of Education Statistics: Bachelor’s Degrees Conferred by Postsecondary Institutions, by Race/Ethnicity and Sex of Student: Selected Academic Years, 1976-77 through 2021-22.” National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Home Page, a Part of the U.S. Department of Education, Nov. 2023, nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_322.20.asp.
Figure 18. percentage of all active physicians by Race/ethnicity, 2018. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.aamc.org/data-reports/workforce/data/figure-18-percentage-all-active-physicians-race/ethnicity-2018#:~:text=Among%20active%20physicians%2C%2056.2%25%20identified,subgroup%20after%20White%20and%20Asian.
Hispanic/Latino Health. (2025). Retrieved from https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/hispaniclatino-health#:~:text=Hispanics/Latinos%20have%20the%20highest,Edited:%2001/16/2025
About the author
Upon completing her Bachelor of Arts degree in Administration Management and receiving her Master of Science degree in Health Services Administration at CSU, San Bernardino, Vannesa Cruz contributes to UCLA Health as a program assistant to the Office of Education and the School of Medicine.
