Preface

I have thought about writing this book for roughly five years, and still I’m weighing whether I should complete this project or not. I am a deeply private person, and I don’t necessarily want all of my childhood memories aired out within the pages of this work. My boundaries are something I developed over the years out of a need to survive. I was taught (by the streets) that demonstrating vulnerability, which is often misconstrued as weakness, leaves me open to being emotionally attacked. Consequently, I often retreat into myself to remain safe, and I am very sensitive about how people might perceive me. And yet, because I have learned so many lessons from my upbringing, as well as my academic experiences, I am determined to share my story with you. To be clear, whether or not I feel comfortable during this process of illumination is inconsequential, because it is still my duty to share. I have a responsibility to pass along the knowledge that was both given to me, and hard-won through adversity, to help whoever picks up this book develop a stronger sense of self, and to know that their contributions to the world will make it a better place. I believe that with all of my heart. My hope is that my transparency will help someone else traverse roads that are at times hidden—and for them to experience fewer barriers associated with achieving their maximum academic and professional potential.

This book is written from both the student and instructor perspective, specifically regarding my journey through the American school system. It alternates between the two lenses because both roles have given me insight into how to make the education system a more inclusive, and equitable, space. While it is often the case that people explore phenomena from one particular framework, or vantage point, I argue that just as research is messy and nuanced, so is the conversation related to achieving success in highereducation.

Now I realize that people often consider the source of where the information comes from, and their authority on any material offered, before seriously considering whether to use the information given—which I absolutely encourage. At a time when information is everywhere, and deciphering what to believe and not believe is crucial, let me give you a look into who I am, where I come from, how I’ve earned my educational stripes, and what I hope to accomplish with this book.

To start, here are my credentials. I have worked in education for over two decades, serving students from diverse academic backgrounds in various academic settings. I attended a community college, where I earned my Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Arts, and then transferred to the University of Southern California where I earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication. Roughly a year later, I moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where I attended Harvard University, earning a Master’s Degree in Education, with a focus on Risk and Prevention. The Risk and Prevention program is focused on enhancing the expertise of educators to help them employ protective factors, for underserved students, that mitigate them leaving school. I moved back home to California in 2008, and quickly learned that most higher education institutions were on a hiring freeze due to the economy. In 2009, I moved to Virginia, a place I had never been before, and worked in the District of Columbia for the largest non-profit in the country. Soon thereafter, I earned a Doctoral Degree in Higher Education Administration, from George Washington University with a focus on the ways that colleges and universities can support students from underserved populations in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). I have worked with thousands of students along the way, and have watched them succeed partly because of my advice to them. More specifically, the meaning we collectively helped emerge through dialog about their circumstances to help them to recognize challenges as opportunities in moments ofhardship.

Okay, so these are also my lived experience credentials: I was