UC San Diego

Despite being among the fastest growing ethnic minority groups in the United States (Pew Research Center, 2020), Latinx continue to lag behind their White counterparts in almost all aspects of postsecondary academic attainment, including degrees conferred (Castellanos & Gloria, 2007; NCES, 2021a, 2021c). As a result of the stunted pipeline of Latinx matriculating through the doctorate, this racial attainment gap extends beyond the classroom and into positions of leadership in academia. According to Latina doctoral persistence literature, current educational policy and practice are culturally devoid and, as a result, does not consider the unique academic patterns and experiences of Latinx students. Using a phenomenological research design, this study explored the various social and personal capital Latinx students, especially Latinas in educational leadership programs, bring to academia. A dual-lens conceptual framework, of cultural proficiency and community-cultural wealth, guided this study and assisted in conceptualizing the academic experiences of Latinas who completed a doctoral program, with a specific focus on persistence and program completion rates.