I’m honored to be featured as a Rising Graduate Scholar in this issue of Diverse Issues in Higher Education. I am grateful to everyone who made this possible, especially to my community, which pushes me every day to keep doing the work I do.

Continuing our highlights with Eleanor “Ellie” Estrada, a jota activist-scholar & first-gen Ph.D. candidate in Communications at the University of Utah. Their work centers Latine/x discourse in chisme, brown trans rhetorics & barrio urbanism. Congrats! Read more about Ellie here: bit.ly/4nRjINn

The AAHHE Faculty Fellows Program kicked off its first meeting last Friday. We are excited for what’s ahead with this amazing group of colegas. Not everyone made it into the picture, but trust us, it was a full house.

FFP highlights continue with Dra. Marjoris Regus, Asst. Prof. of Music Education at Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick. Her work centers on culturally responsive pedagogy, reggaetón, & the bicultural/bilingual experiences of AfroCaribbean music students. Read more about Dra. Regus here: bit.ly/3IGMyAm

We continue our GSFP highlights with Jeremy A. Rodríguez Vargas, a PhD student in Chemistry at the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras from Ponce, PR. His research focuses on developing antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer drugs. WEPA! Read more about Jeremy here: bit.ly/42aITS4

We continue our GSFP highlights with Tabatha Cruz, a doctoral student at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, in Higher Ed. Her dissertation will explore student experiences in Puerto Rican higher education institutions. Congratulations, Tabatha. Read more about Tabatha here: bit.ly/469zFba

FFP highlights siguen con Dr. Sergio A. Gonzalez, Asst. Prof. of Higher Ed at the Univ. of Pittsburgh. His research centers QTPOC experiences in education, shaped by Jotería Studies, Women of Color Feminisms & Queer of Color critique. Felicidades! Read more about Dr. Gonzalez here: bit.ly/3IfChew

Our FFP highlights continue with Dr. Carmen Serrata, an Asst. Prof. of Higher Education at UNC Charlotte. Her research focuses on postsecondary experiences of marginalized students & family roles across the P–20 pathway, using asset-based approaches. Read more about Dra. Serrata: bit.ly/4pfA8QF

Continuing our GSFP highlights with Omar Sánchez, a bilingual Mexican American first-generation PhD student in Kinesiology at The Ohio State University. His research centers on equity in adapted physical education and childhood obesity. Congrats, Omar! Read more about Omar here: bit.ly/3I0XicJ

Continuing our FFP highlights, meet to Dra. Annette Beauchamp, Asst. Prof. in Curriculum & Instruction at the University of Minnesota. Her work focuses on intercultural & Latina/o education & how it informs the professions. Felicidades! Read more about Dra. Beauchamp here: bit.ly/4naya1Q

Wrapping up our award highlights with the Elementary, Secondary & Post-Secondary Award, congratulations to Dra. Courtney Luedke, Associate Professor of Educational Policy Studies at the University of Illinois Chicago. Felicidades, Dra. Luedke.

Continuing our highlights, meet Kelly Andrade, a 1st-gen Brazilian American & PhD candidate at Rutgers University. She studies how Latine students navigate financial aid to examine access to higher education. Parabéns, Kelly! Read more about Kelly here: bit.ly/4mEL5JD

Continuing with our Faculty Fellow highlights, meet Dr. Michelle Soto-Peña, Asst. Prof. in Early Childhood Studies at Cal Poly Pomona. Her research focuses on Ethnic Studies and bilingual education, emphasizing anti-racist and ancestral pedagogies. Read more about Dra. Michelle here: bit.ly/420Irpl

Continuing our highlights, meet Jessica Stamp, a Ph.D. candidate at Howard University. Drawing on her Cuban and Panamanian roots, Jessica's research explores servingness of Black students at predominantly Black institutions. Read more about Jessica here: bit.ly/3UIsP61

Our Faculty Fellows Highlights begin with Dr. Mónica Baldonado-Ruiz, Asst. Prof. of Literacy at San Diego State University. She promotes liberatory literacy and culturally sustaining pedagogy through her research and advocacy. Read more about Dra. Mónica here: bit.ly/41IbxK0

✨ Calling U.S. Caribbean Latine Scholars ✨ Consider joining me on this journey of co-creation. Sign up using the QR Code!

We’re muy excited to kick off our GSFP highlights with Yanira, a proud Puertorriqueña & Bronx native whose leadership, scholarship, & philanthropy advance equity in higher education. Felicidades, Yanira! Read more about Yanira here: bit.ly/4mOSl5s

Felicidades to Dra. Marialexia Zaragoza, from the 2022–2023 AAHHE GSFP cohort, on earning her PhD in Higher Education from the University of Pittsburgh! We are so proud of her accomplishment and her continued support of the GSFP comunidad.

We are thrilled to introduce the 2025–2026 AAHHE Faculty Fellows. We look forward to an incredible year ahead and cannot wait to see all that our fellows will accomplish. Read more about the fellows here: bit.ly/4mGUKz4

The wait is over! We’re muy excited to announce the 2025-2026 AAHHE Graduate Student Fellows! This new cohort is full of brilliance, purpose, and pasión. Welcome to the familia, we can’t wait to witness all the magic you’ll bring to the space.

Continuing with our grad highlights, today we congratulate Dr. Luis Alcázar! A 2023 fellow, Dr. Alcázar, earned their PhD in Adult and Higher Education from Oregon State University. Their dissertation explored the experiences of P'urhépecha community college students. We’re so proud of you!

Congrats to the newly minted Dra. Ariana Garcia! A 2023 Grad Fellow, Dra. Garcia just earned her PhD in Higher Education from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. We couldn't be more proud of you. Your brilliance and dedication truly inspire everyone. Felicidades!

As AAHHE GSFP & FFP leaders, we condemn state violence against communities targeted by ICE raids and militarized forces during protests. Scan the QR code on slide 3 for the full statement. Join us in mourning and mobilizing for the upcoming diálogos. Link to dialogues here: bit.ly/AAHHEdiálogos