The Journeys of Five Latino/a Community College Presidents

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to acquire knowledge about the journeys of five Latino/a community college presidents from Texas and the Midwest region. This research study was conducted because there is minimal scholarly work on Latino/a leaders in community colleges. This is a critical topic today because community colleges currently serve over 50% of the U.S. Latino student population, and yet there is a disproportion between Latino/a students attending community colleges and Latino/a community college presidents.

t is well noted that over the past two decades the U.S. has experienced a significant demographic change. Over the past 10 years, Latinos have become the largest minority group in the country; however, they continue to be significantly underrepresented at all levels of higher education. Therefore, the purpose of the in-depth interviews was to encourage and motivate other Latino/as to dream of becoming community college presidents someday. Story-telling plays a significant role in the Latino culture.

This research study provides rich dialog about the five Latino/a presidents’ family history, challenges, and leadership attributes. The research study also offers insight regarding the current leadership gap between Latinos and non-Latinos. In summary, the findings indicate that there are several similarities among the participants, regardless of whether they live in Texas or in the Midwest region. However, it is important to note that each participant had a distinct pathway to the presidency. Finally, there were five themes that emerged from this research study: family, mentors, perception that kindness is a weakness, overcoming adversity, and leadership attributes.