The research conducted for this study explored the experiences of eight Latina college students and their stories of struggle and persistence in higher education Borderlands. This research was framed by LatCrit theory and the work of Chicana Feminist Epistemologists who investigated raced and gendered experiences and their relationship to power, place, and oppression, especially in academia. Collaborators in the study dismantled internalized deficit representations using a "Testimonio" methodology and "charlas" and "testimonio" methods. "Testimonio" has two functions in this study. To reduce confusion for readers, "Testimonio" as a methodology is capitalized and "testimonio" as a method is lower case. A "Testimonio" methodology is an anti-racist, anti-colonial, life affirming, and spiritually fortifying process for inquiry geared toward transforming oppression and social injustice. Through a collaborative research practice, a "Testimonio" methodology fortifies a sense of "comunidad" and connection and disrupts traditional researcher/researched dynamics common in academia. Through "charlas," Latina college students established collective agency and shared "confianza". The Latina college students described and problematized their experiences with "nepantla", which was expressed through loneliness, struggle, self-worth, and fear in higher education Borderlands that were complicated by traditional cultural values and family expectations. By the end of the study, collaborators unapologetically described an internal healing that produced courage, confidence, and hope. Their experience working within the collective of Latina college students not only impacted their understanding and articulation of what it meant to be part of a historically excluded population navigating higher education Borderlands, they were also able to use their reflection and analysis of their own stories of struggle to offer advice to future Latina college students about how they may engage in the contested terrain. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]