Carla Lopez-Valdes is the Associate Director of Government and Community Relations at Para Los Niños (PLN). In this role, she establishes and fosters relationships with elected officials and the external community to uplift Para Los Ninos’ priorities. Additionally, she is responsible for monitoring legislation and advocacy efforts that align with PLN’s mission and developing advocacy strategies to ensure the communities they serve can fully thrive.
When she read into LMU’s Program, its focus on social justice resonated with Carla and she began connecting with the program alumni to learn more about it. Thanks to their advice and guidance, she decided to apply and enroll.
Carla’s dissertation, “Me Echan Porras: Understanding Latina Students' Journeys of Persistence,” chaired by Lauren Casella, Ed.D., examined the experiences of students in community college with a focus on the transfer process. For many students, community college can be a steppingstone to a four-year institution, but for others, it is a confusing process that is unmotivating. This is especially an issue for Latino/a students, where large numbers enter the system but a small number transfer or obtain a degree. In her study, Carla found students have such great motivation to transfer and obtain their degree, but they have home and life responsibilities where their goal does not take priority.
LMU’s Ed.D. Program has provided Carla with a further understanding that no one entity can make the change to systemic inequities—it must be a spectrum of stakeholders building a vision of social justice. It has also given her the opportunity to question how the system moves and responds to justice and equity.