10/27/2021
. Amanda Corona, director of alumni engagement for Social Sciences, "09 alum of the UC San Diego Department of Anthropology and current graduate student in the UC San Diego Department of Education Studies and California State University San Marcos joint doctoral program in educational leadership.You go, Amanda!
"Despite Latinx students representing 55 percent of the K-12 population in California and trends suggesting that Hispanic women will comprise nearly one-third of the countryโs female population, studies indicate that Latinas are the least likely of all women to complete a college degree, let alone pursue a doctoral program.
As a first-generation Latinx student, I was on the verge of contributing to the aforementioned statistics. In high school, I focused on getting into a prestigious university. Naively, I assumed that getting into college meant I was also prepared to succeed. As a freshman in college, I was enthralled by the freedom of living miles away from home. The appeal faded as the weeks progressed, with each failed midterm I could feel my future slipping away. I assumed it was my fault; I told myself I was not studying enough. When studying more did not help, I decided to ignore the problem. Overwhelmed, embarrassed, and culturally devoid, I began to resent the very thing I had worked hard to achieve. After years of suffering in silence, feeling alone and out of place, I decided it was up to me to create an environment conducive to my needs. I joined Lambda Theta Nu Sorority, Inc. a Latinx organization with womxn who became my family, community, mentors, and my support system. We encouraged each other, validated each other's struggles, and fought to create a positive climate for all students. This opened my eyes to the distinction between surviving and thriving in postsecondary education.
This experience gave me insight into the need to create supportive, culturally competent climates for students to thrive. I am motivated to see this vision come to fruition in time for my two daughters and the future generations they represent. As part of UCSD/CSUSMโs Joint Doctoral Program, I hope to develop the knowledge and skills needed to inform educational leadership research and practice to address issues that prolong and even prevent degree completion for Latinx womxn."
-Amanda Corona โ09, Director of Alumni Engagement