{"id":362,"date":"2020-09-11T18:12:57","date_gmt":"2020-09-11T22:12:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pages.vassar.edu\/transitionsresearch\/?page_id=362"},"modified":"2021-02-19T16:16:43","modified_gmt":"2021-02-19T21:16:43","slug":"research-team-2020-2021","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/pages.vassar.edu\/FLIresearch\/research-team-2020-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Research Team: 2020\/2021"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Er\u00e9ndira Rueda, <\/a>Associate Professor of Sociology<\/p>\n

Saludos Transitions students!<\/p>\n

I’m Professor Rueda (she\/her\/hers), one of the faculty members on campus who identifies as part of the Transitions Family. I grew up in Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley in Southern California.\u00a0 I’m fiercely proud of having grown up in a Spanish-speaking, low-income Mexican immigrant family and of being the first in my family to go beyond a middle school education. I am sibling-mother to my three younger siblings and have always been the path breaker in my family. I take great pride in the fact that my success has always been the result of collective efforts in my family, that it has reflected the hard work and sacrifices that my parents made as immigrants, and that I am now in the position to serve as the safety net for my family.<\/p>\n

Things I love: mini-donkeys, being bi-coastal (CA-NY), when students send me postcards from their worldly travels. I’m an extroverted sociologist who loves to do things in groups, including research.<\/p>\n

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Evelyn Lazaro-Ruiz – Class of 2021<\/p>\n

Hello! My name is Evelyn (she\/her\/hers) and I am from Watsonville, California. I am a Sociology major who is trying to get either a double major or concentration in Education. I heard about Vassar the last few days before the admission application deadline when a college representative gave a presentation in my high school. (Never underestimate the power of those pretty brochures!) I applied because I wanted to see the actual seasons change, which I found out is great until you are trying to get to class and the rain or snow gets intense\u2026 and because many of my teachers and counselors strongly suggested I did.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Coming to Vassar was very nerve wracking because not only was I going away from home but I became aware that being a low income, first generation college student would make my experience different. I am very grateful to have attended Foundations, the pre-orientation program that Transitions organizes. This helped me familiarize myself with the campus but also get to know other people I could talk to and relate to. Joining this research team is a way to learn about and connect with other low income and\/or first generation college students in order to bring more light to our experiences.<\/p>\n

Fun Fact: I got to go to China this past summer and co-teach English classes for kids with a friend!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Mari Robles, Class of 2021<\/p>\n

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Hello y\u2019all! My name is Mari and I\u2019m from Wilmington, MA. I am double majoring in German and International Studies with concentrations in History and Political Science. I am a first generation, low-income student and this identity has really shaped my educational experience. I found empowerment and a home through the Transitions program at Vassar and am very proud of identifying as first gen, low income. In addition to being a member of the Transitions Research Team, I am part of the Senior Class Council, the Daisies, and the Latinx Student Union.<\/p>\n

I joined the Transitions Research Team because I believe that we should hear more about the first gen, low-income (FGLI) experience at elite institutions. These narratives are often not recorded and I would appreciate to hear how each individual has navigated their college experience. Coming from a place where many people did not share my background, I think problems that I had were overlooked or not understood. Through this research project, I hope to communicate to FGLI students that what they feel is valid and that they are agents of change. I am proud of all FGLI students and can\u2019t wait to meet you. We are doing this together!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Fun facts: I can kinda speak 4 languages. My dog is named after Checkpoint Charlie. I’m a huge Miami Heat fan.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Majella Sheehan – Class of 2022<\/p>\n

Hi! I\u2019m Majella Sheehan and I was born and raised in the Bronx, NY. I\u2019m a Sociology Major with a soon-to-be declared Correlate in Education. I\u2019m a first-generation college student and a daughter of immigrants, and Vassar\u2019s support through the Transitions Program for students like myself was a deciding factor in my decision to come to Vassar. My classes in Sociology and Education and my involvement with the Transitions Program (including this research team!) have allowed me not only to see my own experiences reflected and validated, but also to develop a sense of pride in my first-gen identity that I strive to empower within my Transitions peers.<\/div>\n
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At Vassar, I am an intern with the Office of Student Growth and Engagement, a Student Leader for the Transitions Program, and an Analyst for the Vassar College Sustainable Investment Fund. In my free time, I enjoy meditating,\u00a0taking care of my plants, and searching for new artists on Spotify. What my life will look like after Vassar is still to be determined, but for now, consulting, marketing, and student affairs are all possibilities that I’m considering.<\/div>\n
Fun Fact: For three years I worked for the Bronx Zoo\u2019s Education Department facilitating free, educational activities for guests about wildlife conservation and environmental sustainability.<\/div>\n
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Maira Vargas – Class of 2022<\/p>\n

Hi everyone! My name is Maira Vargas (she\/her). I was born in Barranquilla, Colombia (where Shakira’s from!), and moved to Brooklyn when I was 5. I heard about Vassar through a friend junior year and applied the following year through Questbridge. The college process was arduous and I wouldn\u2019t be at Vassar today without the help of so many others.<\/p>\n

At Vassar, I\u2019m a Sociology and Education double major. I’m also a tour guide, part of Matriculate\u2019s Leadership team, and secretary for Vassar\u2019s Christian organization (VXF).<\/p>\n

I\u2019m super excited to see what this year holds and especially to be a part of the Transitions Research Team. I\u2019m so proud of being a part of this community and find so much strength and encouragement from my Transitions peers.<\/p>\n

Fun fact: This past summer I was hooked on TikTok but also had a lot of fun baking cakes and chocolate chip cookies!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Vanessa Vazquez – Class of 2021<\/p>\n

Hi everyone! My name is Vanessa (she\/her\/hers) and I’m from Yonkers, NY. I’m an Environmental Studies major with concentrations in Chemistry and Sociology (and hopefully a Chemistry correlate). I am a first-gen, low-income, child\u00a0of immigrants and I’m proud of my story and my family’s story. This year I’m excited to be a member of Latinx Student Union, the Council of ALANA Seniors, and a VELLOP tutor.<\/div>\n
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I first heard about Vassar from my college advisor in high school who forced me to apply! Now, I am thankful for her guidance and the guidance of many others who have helped me reach my senior year.\u00a0I joined the Transitions Research Team because it wasn\u2019t until I came to Vassar that I felt \u201cdifferent\u201d for being first-gen and low-income.\u00a0I want FGLI students to be heard, supported, our successes be celebrated, and for us to feel as though we belong here because we do.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Things I love: penguins, sunsets, and sharing \/ seeing pictures of pets and \/ or plants!!!\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
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Leonard Versola – Class of 2023<\/p>\n

Hello everyone! My name is Leonard (they\/them\/theirs) but most people call me Leo. I was born and raised in Quezon City, Manila, Philippines, and I moved to Las Vegas, Nevada when I was ten years old. Currently, I am a sophomore, and I am planning to declare a double major in Music and Education, with a correlate in Sociology. On campus, I participate a lot in performing art organizations (BAM A Capella, UJIMA), some identity organizations and programs (Southeast Asian Student\u2019s Alliance, Transitions), and other miscellaneous groups (Vassar Students Association, QuestBridge).<\/p>\n

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As a low-income, first-generation, and immigrant student, college was a goal with no step-by-step instruction. It was only late in my high-school career that QuestBridge entered my radar and led me to Vassar. A busy and stressful college application season ultimately resulted in my admittance to Vassar, and so I moved myself halfway across the country.<\/p>\n

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My first semester at Vassar introduced me to Sociology. Learning the vocabulary and theories of why higher education was such a challenge for so many students like me helped me contextualize my position and validate my belonging in college. I am passionate about giving voice to the experiences of low-income, first-generation, undocumented, and immigrant students as we tell our unique stories of how we got here.<\/p>\n

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Fun Fact: I graduated from a performing arts high school with a focus on classical vocal performance, music composition, music production, costume design, and art history.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Kevin Vo – Class of 2021<\/p>\n

Hello everyone! My name is Kevin Vo and I\u2019m from Springfield, VA. At Vassar, I am double majoring in History and Hispanic Studies. In addition to being a member of this project, I am a student leader for the Transitions Program, the Academic Intern for the Hispanic Studies Department, and the liaison between Senior Class Council and Council of ALANA Seniors. Two college experiences that I cherish deeply include Foundations 2017 and JYA in Madrid.<\/p>\n

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I joined the Transitions Research Team as a way to give back to the Transitions program, which provided me with so many useful workshops and community-building events my first year here at Vassar. This project, through qualitative interviews, can shed light on the narratives of first-gen\/low-income students and hopefully strengthen and improve the Transitions resources provided by the college. I want to partake in this meaningful research, not only to illuminate our hardships and struggles, but also to celebrate our perseverance and successes as first-gen\/low-income students at an elite institution. I hope you all can join us in this journey!<\/p>\n

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Fun fact: I have a 2nd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do!<\/p>\n

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  Er\u00e9ndira Rueda, Associate Professor of Sociology Saludos Transitions students! I’m Professor Rueda (she\/her\/hers), one of the faculty members on campus who identifies as part of the Transitions Family. I grew up in Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley in Southern California.\u00a0 I’m fiercely proud of having grown up in a Spanish-speaking, low-income Mexican […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1947,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-362","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.vassar.edu\/FLIresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/362","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.vassar.edu\/FLIresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.vassar.edu\/FLIresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pages.vassar.edu\/FLIresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1947"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pages.vassar.edu\/FLIresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=362"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/pages.vassar.edu\/FLIresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/362\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":397,"href":"https:\/\/pages.vassar.edu\/FLIresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/362\/revisions\/397"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.vassar.edu\/FLIresearch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=362"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}