From the Margins to the Forefront: Cultivating Leadership Among Latina/o Students in a Community College

• In Event: Roundtable Session 53
  In Roundtable Session: Critical Research on Race, Gender, and Leadership Development of Youth of Color

Abstract

In 2011, Latina/o student enrollment in college exceeded the 2 million threshold throughout the U.S.—becoming the largest minority group on college campuses (Fry and Lopez, 2012). Despite the enrollment explosion of Latina/o students in higher education, their completion rate lags behind their peers—especially at community colleges. This paper is a reflective account on the development of Latina/o student leaders through a mentorship program in the Midwest. We outline how our collective theoretical background informed our praxis. We developed a culturally sustaining leadership model centered on: training students through a supportive leadership culture that respects and embraces Latina/o linguistic and ethnic diversity; placing Latina/o students in expert roles; and recognizing the significance of administrators’ flexibility and support.

Authors

• Eduardo Coronel, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Moises Orozco Villicana, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign