Latina accomplishments: Eastern's Sierra Colon and Christine Garcia

Willimantic, CT (09/22/2021) — Sierra Colon, an admissions counselor at Eastern Connecticut State University, has been named one of 16 people nationwide in the inaugural Coalition Ambassador program of the Coalition for College. Christine Garcia, a faculty member in the English Department, is a contributing author in the book "Latina Leadership: Language and Literacy Education across Communities."

Colon named 'Coalition for College' ambassador

As one of 16 Coalition Ambassadors for the national Coalition for College, Colon, of Wethersfield, will collaborate with ambassadors from other member institutions on work related to college access.

Coalition Ambassadors, chosen for their commitment to helping more under-served students learn about, prepare for, and apply to college, will work together throughout the coming year to identify and carry out strategies for sharing the organization's free college-planning tools with students who are first-generation, limited-income and historically underrepresented in higher education.

"I'm honored to have been selected for this program," said Colon. "Having access to collaborate with professionals from across the United States in such an intimate setting is a unique opportunity. Now more than ever we need to push the envelope on what access to higher education means, which includes adequately supporting students when they enroll. I'm excited to merge quantitative and qualitative measures in these conversations and get to work on how to change college admissions and enrollment management for the better. My experience at Eastern as an undergraduate student and now as a professional staff member has prepared me to ensure Eastern continues to evolve and be innovative in its approach to better serve all members of our community."

"I am very pleased to have a member of our Admissions staff as one of the first Coalition Ambassadors," said Chris Dorsey, director of enrollment management at Eastern. "Sierra is a valued member of our team and a proud Eastern alumna. I know she will represent Eastern well as she and her fellow Coalition Ambassadors advance the causes of equity and access to higher education for first-generation and underrepresented students."

The ambassador program builds on the coalition's work to connect its 150+ member schools with community-based college access organizations, as well as expanding the kinds of direct outreach and support provided to students.

In addition to connecting with community-based organizations and students via in-person and virtual events, coalition ambassadors will build connections with each other, as well as leaders in the college access and enrollment management fields. The professional development component of the program is designed to provide early- and mid-career professionals who are committed to access and inclusion with the opportunity for networking and professional growth. Each ambassador has support from leadership at their home institution for participating in the program.

"Our hopes for this program are two-fold," says Stacey Kostell, CEO of the Coalition for College. "Reaching and serving more students is our first priority, especially as under-served communities continue to disproportionately face the effects of the pandemic," she says. "Longer term, we hope to continue to shift the field of admissions and enrollment management toward more equitable practices, and we believe that a professional development program that centers access and equity is an important part of that work."

Eastern Connecticut State University is one of four Connecticut universities who are members of the Coalition for College, joining Yale University, Wesleyan University and the University of Connecticut.

Garcia featured in 'Latina Leadership' book

Garcia, a native of San Angelo, TX, is a contributing author in the book "Latina Leadership: Language and Literacy Education across Communities." The book features stories of activism, oppression, community ties, family connections and more with stories from Latina leaders in k-16 educational settings.

Garcia wrote the chapter "The Chingona Interviews" and co-authored the chapter "Afterword: A Letter of Solidarity for Junior Latina Scholars" with three other Latina authors.

The "Chingona Interviews" was inspired by scholar Gloria Anzaldua and Women's Studies Professor AnaLouise Keating. The chapter analyzes more than 10 years of Anzaldua's interviews. "Much of the interview portion of the article is rooted in story, myth and tradition, creating a unique experience for someone expecting a typical scholarly article," said Garcia.

The co-authored chapter, "Afterword: A Letter of Solidarity for Junior Latina Scholars," Garcia said "is very personal to me. It recalls a painful period in my Ph.D. when a 'mentor' attempted to undermine my success on the job market by convincing me that no one would respect me because of the way I looked, regardless of my intelligence or ability to teach well," said Garcia.

Latina Leadership "Beyond the racism and classism embedded in the way I was treated, was the pernicious act of gatekeeping that all too often makes it impossible for Latinas and other BIPOC to succeed in academia. By telling my story in this afterword, with the profound support of my co-authors, the doubt instilled in me by this 'mentor' of potentially not being good enough to be considered a 'real academic' was lifted and the shame that makes gatekeeping so effective was gone."

Specializing in rhetoric and composition, some of Garcia's teaching interests include Gloria Anzaldua composition theory and pedagogy, Chicana/Latina feminism and community-based learning.

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