A Latinx Student’s Journey to a Doctoral Degree at Harvard

Growing up, I had a love for education and learning, and I knew I would go to college at a very early age. I grew up with my parents saying, Justis, go to school and get your education, so you don’t have to work as hard as I do. Growing up, my parents didn’t have the opportunity to attend college. As a potential first-generation Latinx student, I had a strong why but was unsure how I would get into college.

My junior year in high school changed everything for me. I became involved in community organizing and was elected class president. I had an amazing teacher Ms. Wohlgemuth who saw something in me and encouraged me to become an educator. Growing up, I never had a male Latinx teacher, and I wanted to change that for other students. So I decided to become a teacher and began going on college tours, but I didn’t know where to start.

I asked for advice from other educators and counselors in the building, and my mom dedicated weekends to taking trips with my younger brother and sister to visit various colleges. These experiences were coupled with support from an organization I was a member of in high school called the Young Men’s Leadership Group. This community fostered a supportive, inclusive environment for young men of color. We would talk about college and go on visits.

During my senior year, I applied to five schools. Two were public state schools, and three were out-of-state private schools. Once I received my acceptance letters, financial aid packages, and scholarship notifications, I discovered that the University of Connecticut had offered me the most significant support. I chose UConn to pursue an education degree to become a social studies teacher. Getting accepted into UConn changed my life.

When I enrolled, my mom said, Make the best of an experience we never got to have, and that is exactly what I strove to do. I became involved with first-year programs and learning communities, became an orientation leader, served as a resident assistant, joined the Puerto Rican Latin American Cultural Center as a mentor, fell in love with the UConn basketball program, and became the school mascot.

After graduating from college, I returned to my hometown and taught social studies at the high school I graduated from. I believe staying connected to your community, investing in local spaces, and giving back are vital. I became involved in various clubs, district-wide initiatives, and community organizing efforts to create the environment that I wanted in high school growing up, especially for our Latinx and Black students.

After teaching there for a few years, I moved to the South Bronx and became a social studies teacher at a small community school. I taught U.S. civics and a hip hop class called For The Culture. I also played a supportive role for any students who needed additional help passing the New York Regents Exams to ensure their graduation.

After this, I moved to Washington, D.C., to support the Federal TRIO programs dedicated to supporting low-income, first-generation college students, students with disabilities, and students from minority backgrounds.

After years as a student, teacher, and nonprofit worker, I became frustrated with what I saw and experienced in educational spaces. So, I decided to return to grad school to pursue my doctoral degree (fully-funded) to help foster and create healing-centered spaces that allow young people, especially people of color, to flourish and thrive.

Below are some lessons that I’ve learned along the way.

I wish all of those reading this well on their journey. If I can support you, please feel free to reach out: justislopez@gse.harvard.edu.