Cultivating an Academic Familia

Jessica Rivera, PhD; Igdalia Covarrubias, Monica Quezada, Hannah ReyesDoctoral Students, Higher Education

Jessica: Leaving Texas to start a doctoral program wasn’t an easy decision. As a Latina, it’s always been hard to leave home because I come from a close-knit family. Although my parents were supportive, I couldn’t help but feel guilty that I was leaving my family. My family instilled values of working collaboratively. These values are at odds with those of academia that reward independence and competition. While my family offered support by listening to challenges I faced, there were times I needed help in ways they couldn’t understand. I then realized how important it is to cultivate an academic familia. Every year, doctoral programs bring about challenges which require distinct types of support. During my first year, I leaned on my cohort and students ahead of me in the program to help me navigate graduate school. They mentored me and explained the politics of higher education. For this article, I interviewed three amazing Latinas in my academic familia. Here’s what they had to say!

What does an academic familia mean to you?

Igdalia: In the academic space, familia includes shared meaning and understanding of what it means to be a Latinx student in a doctoral program. As someone who moved more than 2,000 miles away from home (California to Ohio), I can say that I wouldn’t have made the move if I hadn’t seen other Latinx students who looked like me in these spaces. To say you’re a doctoral student is one thing, but to say you’re a Latinx doctoral student es otra cosa; it’s beyond the norm.

Monica: My academic familia are those outside of my immediate family who are genuinely interested in supporting my academic success. My academic familia includes peers (academic siblings), faculty and staff (academic aunts and uncles) who have provided me with resources, words of encouragement, and care to help me get through challenges to succeed in college. It’s also important to me to mirror the support of other members of my academic familia. It’s a community that continues to grow.

Hannah: Originally from Texas, I didn't expect to meet people like me in my program. The roots of my academic family tree sprouted before I set foot in Ohio. It started with Jessica, mentioning my name in rooms of opportunity, though we'd only exchanged emails. It started with Monica, sitting in a Zoom room where we talked about our fears of uprooting ourselves as new PhD admits but promising to look out for each other always. It started with Igdalia, who didn’t let me go a week without asking about my doctoral transition. Now, it’s continuing with us having impromptu karaoke nights, enjoying homemade flan, and exploring new parts of the world. Having an academic familia means I can dream bigger, aim higher, and exist more boldly.

How has your academic familia impacted your experience?

Igdalia: Before coming to OSU, I didn’t know what it meant to be a doctoral student, especially a Latina studying at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI). When accepting my offer, I reached out to the only Latina doctoral student I knew in the program and asked what her experience was like. When it comes to shared understanding of my experience as a doctoral student, especially as a Latina, only those sharing my identity recognize my struggles and the difficulties navigating a system that wasn’t built for people like me. Having an academic familia has been my saving grace. Now, there is three amazing Latinas in my academic familia I can share a cafecito and concha with and converse about my current struggles as a Latina in higher education. For once, I feel visible.

Monica: As a first-generation graduate student many times I’ve felt that no one in my family (immediate and extended) understands my experience as a college student, however, having an academic familia has continuously validated my experiences as a student. It’s a familia that I feel comfortable asking questions and asking for help when I feel stuck.

Hannah: Coming from my master’s program, I never had a cohort or writing collective to exchange ideas and rely on. Since starting at Ohio State, my academic familia has enriched every part of my life. Academically, we challenge and grow with each other. Personally, and emotionally, we support and love each other. It’s a space I don’t take for granted.

This is a reminder to Latinx students that our culture instills values that are an asset to our growth and success. Working in collaboration isn’t a value to abandon because individualism is rewarded in higher education. Relationships with peers are essential, especially for students not broadly represented at their institutions. Be intentional and seek out your academic familia!

Academic Familia Picture