Institute for Emancipatory Education

What is/was your SJSU degree in?
Currently a second-year graduate student within the Master’s of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program.

Tell us about yourself!
My name is Robert Abarca, and I am a VERY proud first-generation, gay, Latinx graduate student pursuing their Master's of Science in Speech-Language Pathology. My story begins in Mountain View, Ca., where I was born and and raised for three years of my life. My family was living in a one bedroom "shack" with 3 kids and my parents made the initiative to move somewhere more spacious to grow a family. We move to Bakersfield, CA., and that was where I was raised for my entire life. Unfortunately, from a very young age, I learned about racism and discrimination because I felt and had seen situations that made me recognize my differences at such a young age. Living in a conservative city made me resent my culture and hate aspects of my life that I am now beyond proud of. During all this, my mother was diagnosed with Breast cancer and, as life progressed, she had over 20 surgeries to combat her ongoing battle. Most of my life was spent in a hospital or traveling to one in Los Angeles, and for some weird reason, I loved it. I knew from a very young age I needed to be in a hospital. When I went to college, it was so hard to navigate because my parents only had a high school education. My sister had gone to college before me, but even then it was still difficult for my parents to assist me. I came in to SJSU as a Spanish major with the idea of becoming a translator for my Spanish-speaking community in the hospitals. That all changed once I learned about Speech-Language Pathology. From there, I changed my major and I have been set on working in the hospitals since then. I has been an ongoing challenge but I made it into graduate school, where I am at right now. I decided to stay at SJSU because of the great faculty and resources already provided, but because the diversity rate of the program was higher and financially it was a better option. I am currently an extern working as a speech therapist intern at California Pacific Medical Center in their inpatient acute rehabilitation center. I work with adults with a variety of diagnosis that I did not even learn in class, but I would not change it for the world. 

What are you currently working on?
I am currently an extern working as a speech therapist intern at California Pacific Medical Center in their inpatient acute rehabilitation center. I work with adults with a variety of diagnosis that I did not even learn in class, but I would not change it for the world. I finished working alongside the Industrial Design department to generate 3D models of the esophagus/larynx for educational purposes for the Communicative Disorders & Sciences department. I am currently working with my peers in generating a mentorship program for graduate and undergraduate students in Communicative Disorders & Sciences. 

What inspires you to work in your field? 
What inspires me to work in Speech-language pathology is being representation that is not only majorly lacking within the field itself, but also within the medical field. So many of the medical professionals do not reflect the populations that they tend to work for. This has caused instances of racial and cultural discrimination that lead to poor medical resources for underrepresented populations. I continue to find the right to fit my values by constantly challenging and pushing the boundaries in the way we think about culture in our field. I have worked with professors in our department to develop orientation programs and resources that directly highlight minoritized voices in our field and program. My final year as an undergraduate student at SJSU, I was the NSSLHA president and I made it my personal mission to generate monthly guest speakers and each one was a person of color. To this day, I continue to push the narrative that is "cultural competency" and I will being giving a presentation to my externship site about "Deconstructing Cultural Competency and making it Cultural Humility."

How did your Lurie College experiences contribute to your skills as a professional? 
The Lurie College has helped me prompt and generate ideas when I was the NSSLHA president. They have provided me with so much support and resources when I needed it most as a student whose parents did not attend college. Additionally, their learning showcases at the end of the semesters are one of my favorite meetings to attend. Being able to see and learn from so many of the students is such an amazing opportunity. I really enjoy the fact that they allow students to propose their research or items that they have learned. It allows them the opportunity to use their voice and advocate for items that are not fully discussed in courses. 

What does emancipatory education mean to you and how do you apply it?
It means so much. Again, this is an opportunity to discuss topics that many feel uncomfortable to discuss. I enjoy their podcasts that were initially used to promote the program and I loved hearing what research was out there. The emancipatory education program discusses important topics that are not nearly mentioned in our courses and provides a spotlight on minoritized voices. I apply all discussions in the language that I use because I learn about the ever changing language that is appropriate to use and integrate. Although I have less time to attend the events, I do think they are a great opportunity to learn from individuals that are outside of our own culture and continue to challenge the ideals that were socially ingrained into us. 

What advice would you give to students interested in your line of work/study?
The advice that I would give is to to use your community. The speech-language pathology community is very competitive to enter because of the low amount of seats offered in the programs. This is the problem. We all need to help each other out, especially the underrepresented students, so that we can all work together to increase the percentage of minoritized individuals within the field. I also would encourage students to continue to challenge their ideals by using their voices. I understand how scary it may be to speak out against your department, but if you are noticing things that can be improved, reach out to facility to help draft a message! The department always wants to know how they can improve. Learning is a ongoing and never stops to anyone, not even departments. Learn to use your voice and use it powerfully.

What is/was your SJSU degree in?
Masters in Special Education

Tell us a little bit about yourself!
San Jose, Studied Child Development, Worked with grade level students from preschool to elementary school and worked as a classroom aide for students with disabilities. 

What inspires you to work in your field?
I was placed in special education, so I always wanted to give back in a positive way of how many positive teachers I had in my life in primary but secondary schooling too. 

How did your Lurie College experiences contribute to your skills as a professional?
I was able to learn about children and adolescents from my undergraduate which I pursued a pathway to the credential program to receive my masters in special education. 

What does emancipatory education mean to you and how do you apply it?
Emancipatory education means the allowance for someone to do the same thing regardless of their physical, physical appearance, sex or cognitive abilities to meet their full potential as a life long learner but as a human being to do things in alternative ways to challenge the social norms of how things have always been approached. 

What advice would you give to students interested in your line of work/study?
I would ask students to get experience in different settings so they know what to expect by shadowing or just observing different learning environments.

What is/was your SJSU degree in?
Child and Adolescent Development (ChAD)

Tell us a little bit about yourself!
I grew up in San Mateo and have lived there most of my life. I currently reside in San Francisco and work at a non-profit in San Jose that serves first generation youth. My path to higher education was challenging, and I spent two year at a community college before transferring to SJUS, where I switched my major 3 times before I landed on Child and Adolescent Development. I always had a passion for working with youth, but never quite knew what I wanted to do. It wasn't until I had an incredible community college counselor who helped me understand what my passion is. He had me reflect and think about the others in my life who had a positive impact on me and both he and my high school counselor came it mind. It made me realize that I wanted to pursue a career in advising/counseling. 

What inspires you to work in your field?
The students and the others in my organization continue to inspire me to work in this field. It is the realization of the need for this program, and the people who work here. I first began as an intern in the Fall 2021 and quickly understood how important this organization is and how the mission aligned with my goals and aspirations. I have always wanted to work with youth and support them on their educational pathways and help them accomplish their academic goals, and I feel grateful that I get to do that now. 

How did your Lurie College experiences contribute to your skills as a professional? 
My experiences with Lurie College were impactful and largely contributed to my skills as a professional. I learned important concepts relating to youth development and the psychology and theories behind it. It has helped me gain a better understanding of youth behaviors and motivation. A requirement for one of the senior classes was to sign up for an internship through SJSU's connections. That internship ended up being the organization where I am now a full time staff member. 

What does emancipatory education mean to you and how do you apply it?
Emancipatory education means to me that a student takes control of their education while teachers and educators act as guides to help them along their journey. 

What advice would you give to students interested in your line of work/study?
My advice is to keep working really hard and to believe in yourself. Always ask questions, and try to get as much experience as you can with the age group of students you want to work with in the future. Just because you're young does not mean you're not qualified. 

What is/was your SJSU degree in?
BA in Child and Adolescent Development & MA+ Credential in Special Education 

Tell us a little bit about yourself!
I am born and raised in the East Bay area. I am a product of the public school system. I attended SJSU right after high school. After that, I took a break from school and taught in Thailand for two years. When I came back, I decided to pursue a Masters in Special Education and an Education Specialist Credential. I completed my masters in 2020, and teaching credential in 2021. 

What is your current occupation?
I am currently working as a resource teacher. 

What inspires you to work in your field?
I used to be an ABA therapist, then paraprofessional, and now a teacher. My students inspire me. I stay in the field because i enjoy advocating for my students in the general education setting. 

How did your Lurie College experiences contribute to your skills as a professional?
Lurie College has amazing professors that guided me and opened up many doors for me. The SETOC (special ed teacher of color group) is very meaningful to me. 

What does emancipatory education mean to you and how do you apply it?
Emancipatory education means going against the education system that we all know about. We encourage emancipatory education by empowering those arounds us.

What advice would you give to students interested in your line of work/study?
I would tell students to remember to take care of themselves so that they can continue to help others.

What is/was your SJSU degree in?
Masters in Special Education

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am currently in my sixth year of teaching adults with disabilities in Fresno California. I start it by getting my bachelors in communications. I found a love for teaching and from there I went to get my credential and my masters in special education for students with mild to moderate disabilities. I’ve taught almost every grade and have found a passion and helping students that are either in high school or transition programs.

What are you currently working on?
I am currently working on helping students with disability transition into adulthood.

What inspires you to work in your field?
I am inspired because I feel that the students have so much potential and just need the right person to inspire them and bring Out there greatness. I found the right fit by trying different grades, trying different programs and just seeing where I felt that I could make the biggest difference.

How did your Lurie College experiences contribute to your skills as a professional?
I don’t think I would be the teacher I am today if I wouldn’t have experienced the Lurie college. From the professors to the chairs, the deans the love and support that was consistently given to me push me to give that same support to my students. One thing that really change my outlet was being a part of a disability Sinnard research group where we worked with local and Non-local activists to learn and understand how they are disabilities defined their life. A really change my view on many different things and helps me to be the educator I am.

What does emancipatory education mean to you and how do you apply it?
It means a lot to me, especially being a black teacher. I didn’t see a lot of black teachers growing up, my culture was not talked about and or discussed in my classrooms except for, of course, Black History Month. So for me it is so important to include all different cultures all different beliefs in my classroom and to educate my students that they are understanding that we can celebrate differences. I want for students to see theirself in me but also to know that their differences are so important to celebrate also.

What advice would you give to students interested in your line of work/study?
Bring your whole heart to your classroom. You never know what your presence and love can do for students who have never experienced it. Do not limit your students instead inspire them to achieve whatever that think they can.

What is/was your SJSU degree in?
Emancipatory Leadership

Tell us about yourself!
I'm from Oakland, CA, which means the world to me! My family places high value on both formal education and life education, so I had a lot of access to books, oral history, and travel with family growing up. When I got to college, I'd planned to study medicine, but ended up accidentally teaching a science class to some Upward Bound students and realized I'm a teacher. I still believe the best educators are the ones who never planned to be - this work is really a calling on my life.

What is your current occupaction?
I'm currently serving as an Elementary Network Partner in OUSD.

What inspires you to work in your field?
I get to support 15 principals and their school communities in any area they need. It's awesome! I meet with students and listen to their hopes, dreams and frustrations, I help principals think through complex issues from budget to instruction to family engagement, and I hope I'm making their lives easier! I think this position found me, really. It's a perfect fit for someone who values integrity, relationships and responsibility, which are my core values.

How did your Lurie College experiences contribute to your skills as a professional?
My experience in the Emancipatory Leadership program contributed to me being able to fully bring my story into the work I do in service of community. Aside from the power of the cohort, the most important activities were Story of Self and our research projects.

What does emancipatory education mean to you and how do you apply it?
Emancipatory education means freedom of access, more than anything. It means that I believe my students and community are not empty vessels waiting for traditional education to make them "whole," but human beings with culture and learning and assets that are valuable. It means freedom - when we dive into building schema of how learning happens, everyone gets free.

What advice would you give to students interested in your line of work/study?
Listen first. You can't enter a community with all the answers. Learn from people who know the community and enter with respect and a goal of partnership.

What is/was your SJSU degree in?
BA - Child and Adolescent Development; MA - Counselor Education

Tell us about yourself.
I was born and raised in San Jose and am a "two-time Spartan" having received both my BA and MA from SJSU. My professional background began in the non-profit sector before I transitioned into public service. 

What are you currently working on?
I'm employed by the County of Santa Clara. I am a Program Manager at Valley Medical Center as part of the Community Clinical Disaster Operations Team. My primary focus is overseeing the community-based COVID-19 testing and vaccination program.

What inspires you to work in your field?
I have always been passionate about serving my communities. The right fit came from the most unexpected place (a global pandemic), but has allowed me the unique opportunity to get into a world that was completely unfamiliar to me, and I haven't looked back since! My role fits my values and interests in that I'm still getting to work with the community while also getting to learn new skills and face new challenges.

How did your Lurie College experiences contribute to your skills as a professional?
To be honest, I was a hardcore commuter student. I went to campus every day to attend class and returned back home promptly after. While I'm sure Lurie College has loads of meaningful activities, I, sadly, did not participate in any. But I do feel like Lurie College afforded me a wide range of classes from many different professors with all different backgrounds. I definitely appreciate the diversity I experienced at Lurie College. And I've been able to return to the college on multiple occasions for various professional efforts as an alumni. It's been nice to stay somewhat connected and learn from the network of other Lurie College folks.

What does emancipatory education mean to you and how do you apply it?
To me, emancipatory education is nonhierarchical and makes someone's voice just as important as everyone else's. As a manager, I apply this by making time to connect with all of my staff. I look to them as the experts of their worksites because they are the ones present all day, every day. We implement various systems for staff to provide feedback and make sure we respond accordingly. Everyone has something to offer and share.

What advice would you give to students interested in your line of work/study?
Keep yourself open to opportunities and experiences! Where I am today, professionally, is something that I would never have pursued on my own. But an opportunity presented itself and I took it. It has turned out to be one of my greatest decisions yet! Keep an open mind and don't be afraid to try new things.

Tara J. Yosso examines access to educational opportunities for Students of Color at critical transition points in their schooling trajectories (e.g. high school to community college, baccalaureate to doctorate). Her research seeks to recover counter-narratives of race, schooling, inequality, and the law. Her extensively cited publications examine the ways People of Color utilize community cultural wealth to
survive and resist racism and other forms of subordination.

She is a first generation college student, a Professor in the Graduate School of Education at the University of California Riverside, and this year has been appointed as the Inaugural Distinguished Scholar in Residence at the Institute for Emancipatory Education at the Connie L. Lurie College of Education at San José State University.

We will intentionally focus on research and innovation designed to center learners who have historically been disenfranchised in educational spaces, learners who are Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), disabled people, LGBTQ+ people, emergent bilingual students, from immigrant and refugee communities, and from communities multiply-marginalized by persistent poverty.

Design theory posits that by focusing on the “extreme user” when seeking to redesign products, systems, and structures, it is possible to develop radically new approaches that bring significant benefit to all users. By centering marginalized learners in our work, our efforts at radical educational transformation will support the re-design of educational systems, structures, and spaces in order to better serve all learners.

We will intentionally and consistently partner with learners, their families, and community leaders to ask hard questions, assess existing educational systems, structures, policies, and practices and - where appropriate - imagine new possibilities.

This approach differs dramatically from the traditional exploitative model of research in which the locus of control rests with the researchers who come into communities, take community knowledge, and offer little in return. Our research and innovation activities will prioritize listening to and working alongside students and communities as co-researchers and co-designers, recognizing and valuing their expertise as essential to the work.

We will bridge boundaries across institutions from preschool to K-12 schools and school districts to community colleges and universities.

The silos that currently exist in research, policy, and practice across these sectors prevent us from learning from one another and have a disproportionately negative impact on our most marginalized students and communities. We will serve as a hub for our regional educational ecosystem, convening educators, policymakers, community leaders, and perhaps most importantly, students and families from across the P20 spectrum to explore common concerns, questions, successes, and solutions. Additionally, our researchers and leaders will work with partners across the ecosystem to examine the current P20 structure, ask whether the existing divisions between early childhood, K12, and post-secondary are appropriate, and explore alternative approaches that are more responsive to student demands and degree requirements for career pathways. 

Our researchers and students will work alongside preschool and K12 educators, college and university faculty, P20 students, parents, and community members to engage in research that seeks to understand the radical transformation needed in our approach to learning.

Together, we will expose existing inequities and explore questions of what it means to tear down racist, sexist, misogynistic, xenophobic, and homophobic structures and rebuild systems that center our BIPOC learners and communities who have historically been marginalized. Community engaged research approaches employed by us will include community-based participatory research (CBPR) and youth participatory action research (YPAR).

We will advance emancipatory pedagogies through educator preparation, professional learning, research, and advocacy.

The institute will work in collaboration with community to develop inclusive, anti-bias, anti-racist pedagogies that center the learning of BIPOC and other historically marginalized students, promote a critical examination of existing power structures and norms, develop critical conscientization and self-actualization in learners, and advocate for systemic and structural change. Institute-affiliated faculty and students will assess the impact of this work, engage with community to iterate the approaches, and share the results broadly with practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and BIPOC communities nationally and internationally. Examples of emancipatory pedagogies to be supported by the institute include Ethnic Studies, culturally sustaining STEM pedagogies, and the Institute for Teachers of Color (ITOC).

We will be a nationally-recognized center of excellence for researching, cultivating, and advocating for emancipatory education.

We will disseminate the learning that is derived through its own institute-led community engaged research and emancipatory pedagogy initiatives and will also curate external research and resources that resonate with the equity-driven priorities of the institute. Approaches that may be used to support dissemination include a Journal of Emancipatory Education, convenings, and visiting scholars and expert consultations.