Developing Latina/o College Student Aspirations of Becoming Community Leaders at Four-Year Colleges and Universities

• In Event: Student Perspectives: Diversity, Inclusion, and Student Engagement on Campus

Abstract

This study explores Latina/o college student reported aspiration to becoming a community leader. Institutional factors and key college environments are considered, and discussed. After controlling for the direct pretest, native English speaking Latina/o college students are less likely to believe that it is important to become a community leader. Moreover, negative cross-racial interactions and students who reported participating in ethnic/racial student organizations both have a significant positive association with reported change in values of becoming a community leader. Other associations include students who report having attended a cultural/racial workshop, those who report having performed volunteer work, participated in political demonstrations, and those who reported higher self-ratings of their leadership ability compared to others of their same age.

Author

• Miguel Lopez, California State University - Los Angeles