The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Latina/o teachers in New York City. Using critical race theory and LatCrit theory as the theoretical framework, 15 participants engaged in semi-structured interviews, focusing on how their racial identities shape their educational and professional paths. Thematic…

Latina students exhibit high levels of academic resilience evidenced by increased rates of educational attainment despite social, cultural, and structural barriers. Although research has identified factors that positively and negatively impact their academic resilience, little attention has been given to the influence of identity. To address this…

The lack of representation of Latina community college presidents in California is an equity and social justice issue because the majority of students enrolled in community colleges are female and Latina but White men continue to dominate the office of the president. This issue is timely given the number of baby boomers who will be retiring in the…

Despite rising enrollment for first generation college students (FGCS) and Hispanic FGCS, there is a disparity in college graduation rates across the United State compared to other groups. FGCS and Hispanic FGCS have historically been faced with more factors that disrupt higher education success. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the…

There is a steady decline in Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) graduation rates, especially from two-year institutions. These institutions have been an integral part of U.S. higher education system, and access for underrepresented groups has been a top priority in recent decades with the passing of specific legislation. Despite growing efforts to…

This research explores the experiences of Latina mothers residing in San Antonio, Texas, using testimonios as a form of data collection; asynchronous interviews were completed to obtain the participants' experiences as they journeyed through their respective doctoral programs. Through this qualitative study, the research provided an in-depth…

Latinx is the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States. As a result, the demographic landscape of colleges across the nation is also changing to reflect this new reality. However, many Latinx students are still not finishing college at the same rate as other ethnic groups. One area of research that is lacking regarding Latinx students is…

The field of modern counseling is conceptualized through a lens of social justice advocacy with professionals tasked with actively engaging in advocacy efforts. However, counselor education has been slower to make systemic changes needed to decolonize and dismantle the field to prepare future counselors with the skills needed to adequately address…

This quantitative survey design study examined whether children's ethnicity makes a difference in teachers' referral and placement decisions in gifted and talented (G/T) programs. A total of 524 teachers from all over the United States who have taught or currently teach pre-kindergarten through 5th grade participated. The participants were…

There is growing evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic had a large and negative impact on student learning. This dissertation explores the effect of the pandemic on one of the most vulnerable student subgroups: English Learners (ELs). In this work I examine existing disparities among subgroups of ELs, and the different ways the pandemic has impacted…

The purpose of this dissertation study was to identify the nature of 23, 4th grade children's talk in social justice awareness circles about topics representative of DEI issues. Omitted in prior research on student talk is the "situatedness" of the classroom discussion and how local context, school climate, media coverage of sensitive…

This dissertation investigates the relationship between ethnicity and place among 44 young adult Latino English speakers in the state of Georgia using a mixed-methods approach. While varieties of Latino English have been studied in traditional destination communities (TDCs) like Texas, California, or New York, where the Latino populations are…

Caregivers of children with developmental delay (DD) or disabilities are at a higher risk of developing mental health problems like depression when compared to caregivers of children who are typically developing. Several factors, including child diagnosis and child challenging behavior, have been known to exacerbate caregiver risk for mental…

This qualitative phenomenological study explores the experiences of eight undergraduate Latinas in a Predominantly White Institution in the Appalachian region using Gloria Anzaldua's insights on Borderlands and Mestiza consciousness. A vast majority of the studies focused on the Latinx college student population that takes place in states and…

HSIs represent less than 20% of all institutions in the U.S., however, they enroll over two-thirds of all Latino students attending post-graduate studies. The purpose of the study was to expand the research on how institutional practices and ecosystems grounded in white normative values marginalize the lived experiences of Latina students at…