Latinx en Academia

This week Marcella Rodriguez interviews Dr. Cirenio Rodriguez. Dr. Rodriguez immigrated to Los Angeles from Michoacán at the age of 14 and the oldest of 9 children, the only brother of 8 sisters. It was a regular part of his family's life to spend several months each year working in the fields in Lodi, California as migrant farm workers. His father wanted him to be a college professor and after graduating high school, he attended Los Angeles Community College where he earned his associate's degree. In the Summer of 1968, before he completed his education at LACC, he participated as an adult facilitator of the East LA student walkouts. These protests were a movement against the unfair conditions Chicano students were facing in their school district. It was here that he was encouraged to apply to the University of California Santa Barbara. He attended UCSB and earned his Bachelor Degree as well as going on to earn his Master Degree and PhD. While in Santa Barbara he began teaching the migrant community English courses and was encouraged to continue being an educator. He was also the Executive Director of La Casa de la Raza, a Chicano Organization in the area. After completing his PhD he was encouraged to apply to jobs outside the area and ended up at Sacramento State University. It was here that he spent the majority of his career, spanning over 30 years. He also served as an elected school board member for 28 years. In this episode he shares the importance of understanding systems of higher education and strategically navigating these systems as a way to impact change and incorporate social justice. As a self-proclaimed son of the Chicano Movement, he shares what his journey has been like as a person of color and the constant fight for the Latinx community's equal representation. Thank you for listening! Instagram: @latinxenacademia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/latinx-en-academia Twitter: @latinxenacademi Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latinxenacademia Website: www.latinxenacademia.org --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latinxenacademia/support

This week Marcella Rodriguez interviews Fabio Peña of Peña & Co. Fabio talks about growing up in Washington as the middle child of 3 boys, immigrating from Guadalajara, Mexico at a young age. He shares his ambitions to major in Business and attend the University of Washington. Although he did end up attending the University of Washington, he was rejected from the business program. He was forced to find an alternate major that still tied him back to his chosen career. He shares the highs and lows of his early career trajectory and how he is now finding his place in an industry that has not always represented the Latinx community. He shares his passion for dance and his wife's support through his journey. They finish by talking about how his consultation business is looking to highlight unfiltered and transparent stories of first-generation students. Thank you for listening! Instagram: @latinxenacademia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/latinx-en-academia Twitter: @latinxenacademi Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latinxenacademia Website: www.latinxenacademia.org --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latinxenacademia/support

This week Marcella Rodriguez interviews Ketty Fernandez, a doctoral candidate at University of Central Florida where she is finishing up her PhD in Sociology. Ketty grew up in New Jersey, the daughter of Chilean immigrants who always expected her to attend college. As a consistent and strong student, Ketty took to academia and navigated through efficiently until it came time for her doctoral program. She shares how her experience took her to the brink of her mental, emotional and physical health and what she has done to reclaim her space in higher education. They talk about navigating the ivory tower and the lose-lose situation that those who decide to speak up and stand up for themselves can face. We also discuss how in her final semester, she contracted COVID-19 and how she has had to make adjustments. Thank you for listening! Instagram: @latinxenacademia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/latinx-en-academia Twitter: @latinxenacademi Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latinxenacademia Website: www.latinxenacademia.org --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latinxenacademia/support

This week Marcella Rodriguez interviews Michelle Guzman. Michelle is a former elite collegiate athlete in Cross-Country/Track and Field where she competed at Texas Tech University, a Division I school. She talks about how athletics took up such a large part of her time she had to be very deliberate and ensure she was also preparing herself for her career. She decided she wanted to be an educator and began teaching in Texas soon after graduating with her Bachelor's degree. While visiting an American friend who was working for a major retail company in England, she became inspired to teach abroad and currently resides in Manchester, England. Michelle has also started her own organization, Believe Mentoring and Tutoring. Her goal is to provide additional support to underrepresented students and ensure that all students, especially students of color, are provided equitable teachings as well as guidance to ensure their success. She recently found herself back stateside, in Dallas, Texas for the time being and has become very involved in the relief efforts for those severely affected by the snowstorm in mid-February. Click here to find out how you can contribute to the efforts on the ground. Instagram: @latinxenacademia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/latinx-en-academia Twitter: @latinxenacademi Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latinxenacademia Website: www.latinxenacademia.org --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latinxenacademia/support

This week Marcella Rodriguez interviews Doctora Elise Sanchez, a clinical psychologist by training and founder of Speak the Secret Podcast. Elise tells us about navigating academia as a first generation college student and how she always knew she wanted to be a psychologist. Her identity as a psychologist has changed and she discusses the responsibility she feels to not only represent women of color in psychology but the added importance of ensuring that psychology centers the unique experience of people of color and our varied complexities. Thank you for listening! Instagram: @latinxenacademia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/latinx-en-academia Twitter: @latinxenacademi Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latinxenacademia Website: www.latinxenacademia.org --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latinxenacademia/support

This week Marcella Rodriguez interviews Andrea Martin, an engineering leader in the oil industry as well as the founder of Andrea Martin Consulting, a career coaching business aimed at ensuring all career moves are strategic and in line with your values and purpose. They discuss Andrea's move to the United States from Peru as a young teen and how her ambitious and powerhouse personality kept her focused on her goals from a very young age, while she learned to navigate her new world. Andrea talks about being a Latina in a male-dominated field and how she eventually came to find her harmony between her career-minded focus and her goal to have a personal life filled with her family. She shares her move to build her own business and how that has made her a better leader for her corporate team. This episode is filled with great advice for those who want to continue to grow in their career and will let nothing stop them on their way. You can connect with Andrea via her Instagram (@mrs.andrea.martin) or head over to her website to get access to many of her resources. Instagram: @latinxenacademia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/latinx-en-academia Twitter: @latinxenacademi Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latinxenacademia Website: www.latinxenacademia.org --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latinxenacademia/support

This week Marcella Rodriguez interviews Sara Toussaint. Sara earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago and her MBA from NYU. Sara talks about her bi-cultural identity, a product of a Puerto Rican mother and Palestinian Father, born on la isla and moving to Chicago at a young age. She shares the twists and turns of her career and how leveraging her ability to self-market herself and tapping into her alumni and professional network allowed her to always land on her feet, ensure that she can remain passionate about her work and engage with others in meaningful ways. They extensively discuss the value in engaging with your own alumni community and how this isn't always a comfortable place for BIPOC. She reminds listeners that they are deserving and entitled to occupy that space and the importance of being involved. Instagram: @latinxenacademia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/latinx-en-academia Twitter: @latinxenacademi Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latinxenacademia Website: www.latinxenacademia.org --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latinxenacademia/support

This week Marcella Rodriguez interviews Christina Rodriguez, doctoral student and founder of Latinas with Masters (@latinaswithmasters). Christina talks about growing up in the Bay Area and how wanting to work in the non-profit sector encouraged her current work in the for-profit space as a way to remain engaged with the Latinx community. We talk about her current doctoral journey, attending Mills College to earn her Doctorate of Education. She explains her interests in bringing housing justice to the Latinx community, particularly those pursuing higher education. Instagram: @latinxenacademia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/latinx-en-academia Twitter: @latinxenacademi Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latinxenacademia Website: www.latinxenacademia.org --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latinxenacademia/support --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latinxenacademia/support

This week Marcella Rodriguez interviews Mary Dueñas, a doctoral candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Mary talks about growing up in Southern California and how her mother shaped her ability to advocate for herself very early on. She talks about her time at UC Irvine and the role that strong role models and her community played in her life, particularly, Latina women in higher education. Mary discusses the challenges and barriers she faced as a student and shares her work in serving others. Instagram: @latinxenacademia  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/latinx-en-academia  Twitter: @latinxenacademi  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latinxenacademia  Website: www.latinxenacademia.org --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latinxenacademia/support

This week Marcella Rodriguez interviews Doctora Pamela E. Harris, a Mathematician and Tenured Associate Professor at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Dra. Harris talks about her family's twice attempt at finding new opportunities in the United States, growing up an undocumented immigrant, and the push to incorporate her own personality and identity into her work as a mathematician, a subject area long considered objective and void of personal influence. She talks about navigating academia as an undocumented student, staying close to home and then needing to move, and the struggle to help her parents understand the work she does. Dra. Harris shares her experience doing a post-doc at the United States Military Academy and how she is making a stronger effort to ensure that she and others feel legitimate in their identity as a mathematician. She does an amazing job giving visibility to difficulties and systemic issues with tenure-track positions. Please also support her recent book, Asked and Answered: Dialogues On Advocating For Students of Color in Mathematics and her podcast, Mathematically Uncensored. Instagram: @latinxenacademia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/latinx-en-academia Twitter: @latinxenacademi Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latinxenacademia Website: www.latinxenacademia.org --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latinxenacademia/support

This week Marcella Rodriguez interviews Doctora Mariana Martinez, the Director of the College Assistance Migrant Program at Santa Rosa Junior College. In addition to her work at the Community College, she also was the first Latina ever elected to the Santa Rosa Board of Trustees within the California Community College system. She talks about being a single mom of a 6 year old boy, her commitment to students of color, and the shifting priorities in higher education that she has seen. Instagram: @latinxenacademia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/latinx-en-academia Twitter: @latinxenacademi Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latinxenacademia Website: www.latinxenacademia.org --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latinxenacademia/support

This week Marcella Rodriguez interviews Dèsa Daniel, a PhD student at the University of New Mexico studying counselor education and mental health topics. Dèsa has received many accolades surrounding her research which primarily focuses on racial and ethnic college students, primarily those of Black and African American women. Dèsa also facilitates a growing online community @blackacademic where she shares her life as a doctoral student, professor, weightlifter and dog mom. In this episode they discuss how she identifies as a Black woman, her independence, and recent trends regarding equity work. Instagram: @latinxenacademia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/latinx-en-academia Twitter: @latinxenacademi Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latinxenacademia Website: www.latinxenacademia.org --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latinxenacademia/support

This week Marcella Rodriguez interviews Doctora Erica Montes, the Creator of The Modern Mujer Blog where she focuses on health, medicine and empowerment. Dr. Montes is a board-certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist with a special interest in minimally invasive surgery. Dra. Montes talks about how her supportive family and extended support system really helped her thrive in academia. They discuss finding your "tribe" in academia, and resiliency despite minimal Latinx representation in medicine. She gives a very thorough background on her journey to be a physician and offers advice for others pursuing medicine. Instagram: @latinxenacademia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/latinx-en-academia Twitter: @latinxenacademi Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latinxenacademia Website: www.latinxenacademia.org --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latinxenacademia/support

This week Marcella interviews Norma Ramirez who is currently in her final year of her PhD program in Clinical Psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary in Southern California. Norma is a current DACA student and for the past 3 years has been in litigation with the current administration, along with several other plaintiffs, representing more than 700,000 current DACA recipients. Although the June 2020 decision allowed for the program to continue, Norma talks about her inability to plan her future beyond the immediate. We discuss institutional support for undocumented students and what a hopeful future would look like. Instagram: @latinxenacademia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/latinx-en-academia Twitter: @latinxenacademi Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latinxenacademia Website: www.latinxenacademia.org --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latinxenacademia/support

This week Marcella interviewed Tammie Velasquez, a Latina who grew up in Southern California and currently lives in New York, working in Student Affairs for the City University of New York. Similar to Marcella, Tammie attended private school for most of her life until college. As the oldest daughter in a traditional Mexican American family she discusses the challenges of pursuing higher education and her dreams while remaining close to her family and balancing their own expectations of her. Trigger Warning: This episode discusses sexual assault and violence.  Instagram: @latinxenacademia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/latinx-en-academia Twitter: @latinxenacademi Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latinxenacademia Website: www.latinxenacademia.org --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latinxenacademia/support

This week Marcella gives her post-election thoughts with special recognition of BIPOC and their impact on our election outcome, particularly, black women. Thank you for all your support. Instagram: @latinxenacademia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/latinx-en-academia Twitter: @latinxenacademi Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latinxenacademia Website: www.latinxenacademia.org --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latinxenacademia/support

In this week's episode, Marcella sits down to chat with Leslie Martinez to talk about how after several attempts at college, 2 kids and a husband later she has returned to college to prepare for a career she is passionate about pursuing , working in special education. Instagram: @latinxenacademia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/latinx-en-academia Twitter: @latinxenacademi Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latinxenacademia Website: www.latinxenacademia.org --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latinxenacademia/support

This week Marcella interviews Valeria J. Martinez (@mzvaleriaj), la jefa de VJ Consulting for Social Inclusion (@vj.consulting) as she talks about growing up in New York as an Afro Latina and doing her undergrad at an overwhelmingly predominant white institution. She gets vulnerable about the abuse and harassment she endured and how that ultimately set her on her way to her work in student affairs. Please make sure to follow her on social media and support her work! https://www.vjconsulting.org/ Instagram: @latinxenacademia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/latinx-en-academia Twitter: @latinxenacademi Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latinxenacademia Website: www.latinxenacademia.org --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latinxenacademia/support

This week Marcella talks to Rosa Magaña, a year one medical student at UC Davis. Rosa talks about her early childhood living on an Indian reservation and later, Northern California. Rosa was a college athlete who completely changed her career aspirations AFTER completing her undergrad at UCLA. Take a listen! Instagram: @latinxenacademia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/latinx-en-academia Twitter: @latinxenacademi Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latinxenacademia Website: www.latinxenacademia.org --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latinxenacademia/support

Listen in to hear how Dulce and I met and how our friendship has grown and evolved. We're just a couple of amigas, catching up over a couple of palomas. Instagram: @latinxenacademia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/latinx-en-academia Twitter: @latinxenacademi Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latinxenacademia Website: www.latinxenacademia.org --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latinxenacademia/support

This is the first of the Happy Hour Episodes where Marcella interviews her guests while enjoying a great cocktail. Dulce is a current speech therapist who is finishing up her master's program in school psychology. They discuss how she originally was a STEMM major, ended up quitting school and returning to study what she was really passionate about. Instagram: @latinxenacademia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/latinx-en-academia Twitter: @latinxenacademi Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latinxenacademia Website: www.latinxenacademia.org --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latinxenacademia/support

Instagram: @latinxenacademia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/latinx-en-academia Twitter: @latinxenacademi Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latinxenacademia Website: www.latinxenacademia.org --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latinxenacademia/support

In this episode Marcella wraps up her interview with her college roommate and immigration attorney, Evelyn Martinez. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latinxenacademia/support

In this episode Marcella interviews her college roommate, Evelyn Martinez. Evelyn is currently an immigration attorney working in Los Angeles. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latinxenacademia/support

In this episode, Marcella completes her interview with her Mom. Last episode we left off where her mom was 15, had a newborn and was just married.  This episode you will learn about how Marcella Sr. remained hopeful through the struggles she encountered being a young mom and a young wife and how she always remained hopeful about her future. She talked about how academics became a second priority but how she has never lost site of her dream to be in a cap and gown.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latinxenacademia/support

In this episode, Marcella sits down to talk to her Mom about her relationship with academia. Marcella Sr. was a teen mom who never gave up on her goal of graduating high school even though she had several challenges along the way. They discuss her early schooling experience in La Puente and Temple City.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latinxenacademia/support

In this episode, Marcella wraps up her interview with her Dad, this time focusing on his role as a father of 5. They talk about how he instilled a strong expectation of higher education with his limit in formal education. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latinxenacademia/support

In this episode, I interview the infamous Papa Fresita aka DJ Champagne Explosion aka Gaston Rodriguez. We had a lot to talk about so this is part 1 of 2. He takes us on his journey as a young brown kid growing up in the San Gabriel Valley. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latinxenacademia/support