Turning points: My journey to lead CCCSE in today's evolving world

Abstract

AbstractLinda L. García never imagined she would one day lead the Center for Community College Student Engagement (CCCSE). In fact, she never dreamed of earning a doctoral degree. As children, Linda and her siblings constantly heard from their parents—a father who grew up as a migrant worker and a mother who immigrated to the United States from Hualahuises, Mexico—that enrolling in college after high school graduation was the only choice to pursue. Little did she know that people and situations along her journey would become “turning points” that prepared and led her to be the first Latina executive director of CCCSE. In this reflective chapter, Linda shares in detail how those past and current “turning points” continue to guide her in not only leading an organization focused on the student experience, but steering it through a pandemic, a time of social unrest, and an amplified focus on equity.