Describe your personal, educational, and professional experiences and how they informed your decision to pursue a graduate degree.
As an immigrant, I have always had a hard time finding people in our field that looked like me, and had similar acculturation experiences. I have also always seen a gap of mental health services in my community, lack of bilingual and culturally sensitive, and knowledgeable therapists, so that’s when I decided to pursue a master’s. Now, as a Ph.D. student, I am excited to conduct more research about mental health and educate future Latinx therapists through counseling education and supervision.
What challenges did you encounter along your educational trajectory? How did you overcome those challenges?
The biggest challenges are around not feeling represented in our career and have to always be the one to educate others about the challenges that Latinx clients face. I had to look outside of my institution to find a mentor that had my best interest in mind and would advocate for me as I learned to advocate for myself.
What advice do you have for individuals who are interested in pursuing a graduate degree?
Find a mentor. Find a mentor. Find a mentor. Higher education can be a lonely journey. Find someone you trust, identified with (as a Latinx this might mean go outside of your institution as I had to do), but don’t give up until you find someone that can guide you, listen to you, and advocate for you to get funding, awards, and opportunities that are not easily attainable for students of color, especially women of color. Find a mentor that will advocate for you, sponsor you, and help you shape your professional identity.
What did you enjoy most about your graduate/professional program?
That it is a challenge, especially the PhD program. It will challenge you to your core. And at the same time, you will learn about topics you are passionate about and about yourself!
Camila was born in Santiago, Chile and currently lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She works as a therapist and is currently finishing up a PhD.
