Describe your personal, educational, and professional experiences and how they informed your decision to pursue a graduate degree.
My mom made a lot of sacrifices for my brother and I to have the opportunities that she thought we deserved. After my dad passed away in Ecuador, she decided that we would have a better life in the US. In school in the US, I faced a lot of challenges as a newcomer student. Challenges that newcomer students are still facing today. I was lucky to have had my mom always encourage me and push me to pursue higher education. After completing 2 years in community college, I transferred to BU and earned my BA and my Illinois teacher license. My first year teaching was also the same year I enrolled in my MAT program from UIC. Once I finished my MAT, I wanted to make a bigger impact on the curriculum that we taught. Unfortunately, I learned very quickly that I didn’t have much say. I needed to become an administrator for that to happen. I wanted to make education more accessible to newcomer students like me, so I applied to the first ever online EdD cohort from UIUC. I was one of the lucky ones that was accepted. Currently Learning Design and Leadership concentration has 124 students and I am one of 7 Latinx students.
What challenges did you encounter along your educational trajectory? How did you overcome those challenges?
My undergraduate experience was challenging because I had to work to fund my degree. I had to commute, so I lacked the social capital that you need in order to network to get internships. I also always felt like an outsider and I had to come to terms with being a student part-time and working part-time as well. Once I accepted that reality and stopped focusing on the ‘FOMO’ from not being able to do what other classmates were doing on campus (like joining a sorority, have a roommate, join clubs, etc.) I was able to focus on forging stronger friendships with other commuter students like me. I don’t think that I was prepared to handle my first year teaching and my first year of grad school at the same time. My little brothers were the true inspiration I had to not give up and to finish the program. Currently, in my EdD program, the challenging part of doing this program online (and being 7 hours ahead) is feeling alone. What has really helped has been that my program has created a space for all of the online students to collaborate and communicate with each other. I also have sought out other doctoral students and I have created a writing group so that we can all keep each other motivated and feel less alone.
What advice do you have for individuals who are interested in pursuing a graduate degree?
My mom used to always tell me that your education is something no one can ever take away from you. It might seem overwhelming at times, but at the end of the day, it is an investment that you are making in yourself. Do your research, compare programs and remember that you are worthy of any program that’s out there. If you want to pursue a degree, but you can’t physically be there to complete it, consider online programs. Research those and see which one works for you. Write down what motivates you to pursue your degree and then go back to it on the hard days, because there will be hard days. The good thing is that those days will pass and there will always be a community of people rooting for you, praying for you and waiting to celebrate you at the finish line.
What did you enjoy most about your graduate/professional program?
This program is the only way that I could have ever pursued a doctorate degree. I wanted to get my EdD, but I also wanted to continue working with students at the High School level. I also wanted to be able to relocate with my husband wherever he was relocated to due to his job. This online program has given me the opportunity to do that.
Valeria is a first generation Latinx. She moved to the US when she was 10 yrs old. Valeria is currently working on her EdD in Education Policy Organization and Leadership online from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is an academic content writer for EF in Luzern, Switzerland.
