In this paper, we explore personal "testimonios" from a Latina's first year in a tenure-track position. We share testimonios and personal narratives based on mentorship and a friendship that was cultivated between a tenured white female professor who helped the Latina professor learn to navigate the landscape of a working at a Hispanic Serving Institution (HIS). Through dialogue and reflections of specific moments during that first year, our story reveals the following themes: (1) validating emotions and overcoming imposter syndrome; (2) strategizing and balancing scholarly opportunities; (3) how assessment and evaluation impact novice tenure-track faculty members; and (4) the role that a White mentor takes in helping a Latina faculty member when there are no other tenured Latinas in her department.