Thirteen months ago I had the privilege of continuing my story at Adams State University. When I began working at Adams State I had no comprehension of what it meant to be a Hispanic Serving Institution, and prior to applying had no idea that type of institution existed. I also over estimated my experience and knowledge of diversity and inclusion. There were many experiences I didn't understand as a white female coming from a private liberal arts institution. I thought it was crazy that parents were invited to stay during orientation and welcome week activities. I was surprised when a student I supervised left school to help take care of her family. I was confused that twenty out of twenty-four students in the class I taught identified as white, and that there were not more Latino students in the course. I was shocked after holding a generic holiday/winter time party for my work study students, and one student didn't attend because of religious beliefs, and didn't feel comfortable. I was discouraged after the programming board held executive board interviews and there was only one student who identified as Latino that interviewed for a position. I just thought one student was quiet, because that was his personality, and had never thought that his communication style could be related to him identifying as a Latino male from the San Luis Valley. Needless to say, I had a lot to learn and a large opportunity for growth.
Over the eleven months I spent in Colorado at Adams State, I learned that family is highly valued and many Latino college students are first-generation college students. From the time the student begins college to the time he/she graduates their college experience is a shared experience among family members. That walk across the stage is not just for the individual student, but for the family as well. I also learned about retention issues, particularly at an HSI, and the challenges of reaching graduation. I realized that families expect their college students to take care of family members, and need to go home for extensive periods of time. This sometimes causes students to leave school permanently. I found out that a combination of family expectations and financial strains affected the rates at which Latino students were involved in co-curricular activities. Most importantly, I learned the value of storytelling.
One of the first things my boss told me was that the Latino culture is full of rich stories, and that story telling is valued. I finally understood what he meant this summer during Adams State's Summer Latino Leadership Summit. There was a large emphasis on teaching, learning, and inspiring through story telling. Every student I worked with had a story, and every speaker at the summit had a story to share as well. The stories that I heard were some of the most engaging and beautiful stories I have ever heard. I will never forget the story that a student affairs professional and graduate of Adams State University shared with the leaders at the summit. It was during that story that I knew I was blessed to hear her story, and knew that I wanted to learn more about the culture and the students that I had the privilege of working with. She talked about her transition from undergrad to graduate school, and from an HSI to a predominantly white institution. When she talked about how much she missed being able to speak Spanish and missed being called "miha" in graduate school I knew in that moment there was so much that I could and wanted to learn.
During my time at Adams State I learned through stories and experiences. The slogan of Adams State University is "Great Stories Begin Here." I have a new understanding and appreciation of that slogan. A great story in my life began at Adams State and now I hope to continue to learn more about the Latino culture through research and interviews, and share with you a great story and voice of a Latino male.
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