Un Mentor Positivo: Supporting Latine & Indigenous First-Generation Doctoral Students

Authors

  • Jessica Luna Garcia University of Colorado Denver, USA
  • Robin Brandehoff University of Colorado Denver, USA
  • Valerie Richmond University of Colorado Denver, USA
  • Melinda Rossi University of Colorado Denver, USA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/n2sx2t62

Keywords:

Doctoral Student of Color, Faculty of Color, First-Generation Student, Latine, Indigenous, Mentor

Abstract

Doctoral completion for first-generation Latine students in the United States is minimal. In 2021, 9% of the doctorates confirmed belonged to those identified as Latine, and 41.3% of that population identified as a first-generation college student. This phenomenological study used content analysis to understand the experiences of 15 doctoral students of color at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI). This paper draws from that larger study highlighting the voices of four first-generation Latine and Indigenous doctoral students. Findings share experiences specific to the population and the importance of having a faculty mentor of color who understands the multiple intersections of marginalized doctoral student identities and the support needed for a truly equitable academic experience for first-generation doctoral students of color at PWIs.        

Author Biographies

  • Jessica Luna Garcia, University of Colorado Denver, USA

    JESSICA LUNA GARCIA, Ed.D., is a passionate first-generation educator, advocate, researcher, and equity expert. Her work focuses on amplifying student voices, dismantling barriers for marginalized identities, exploring intersectionality, and championing anti-deficit achievement frameworks. She currently serves as the Director of the CU Pre-Health Scholars Program at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus.

  • Robin Brandehoff , University of Colorado Denver, USA

    ROBIN BRANDEHOFF, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Education Foundations and oversees the Justice, Equity, and Diverse Identities Ed.D. program in the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Colorado, Denver. Her work and scholarship explores Hānai Pedagogy (Brandehoff, 2023) through critical liberatory mentorship, decolonized methodologies, Grow Your Own teacher programming, and community storytelling to collaborate with and educate at-promise youth, families, and the radical educators who journey in wonder with them.

  • Valerie Richmond, University of Colorado Denver, USA

    VALERIE RICHMOND, Ed.D., is a first-generation graduate and an educator of color. Her scholarship focuses on community perspectives of efficacy in education policy, highlighting the impact of community voices on legislative decision-making. Her work seeks to advance education policy to ensure the success of all students.

  • Melinda Rossi, University of Colorado Denver, USA

    MELINDA ROSSI is a doctoral mother scholar and educator. She is an active member of Doctoral Students of Color, a campus affinity group, working with other members to create inclusive spaces and communities within the academy. As a doctoral mother scholar, she seeks to combat the inequities that are often compounded by one’s intersectionalities. She is currently working as an early childhood special education teacher advocating for culturally and linguistically diverse students and families.  

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Published

2024-11-24

Issue

Vol. 8 No. SI (2) (2024): Journal of Underrepresented & Minority Progress: Special Issue on Hispanics in Higher Education

Section

Special Issue: Hispanics in Higher Education