Dr. Cristina Aguirre, Chief Program Officer at BLCI, recently earned an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Social Justice from Fresno State University. As the first member in her family to graduate high school and go to college, she understands the transformative power of higher education. Cristina exemplifies what is possible through hard work and determination and her efforts place her among the 1% of Latinas who hold an Ed.D.
BLCI staff mirror the lived experiences of the students we serve, overcoming challenges in their pursuit of higher education. Their shared experiences allow them to act as role models and sources of inspiration, proving that success is attainable even in the face of adversity.
Cristina’s path to education was not an easy one. As a young child, she worked alongside her family in the fields near her hometown of Fresno. Education was her way out and being the first, meant she didn’t have family she could lean on. She navigated the educational system on her own and struggled, but with the help of the TRIO Program at UCSD, she found the support of others and excelled. Cristina’s experience is a driving force in her mission to provide educational support to students like her, who are the first in their families to go to college.
Read More about Cristina’s path to education below and check out our related story on her dissertation on the Impact of a College Access program that begins in the 3rd grade.
Inspired? Please consider donating to honor her success. Your gift today will be matched and help ensure that all BLCI students have the tools and skills to succeed.
BLCI: Where did you go to college and degrees completed?
Dr. Cristina: I attended UCSD for my BA in Sociology with a minor in Spanish Literature. I later obtained my Master of Arts with a Specialization in School Counseling with a Pupil Personnel Services Credential. Finally completing my Ed.D. in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Social Justice from Fresno State University this past spring.
BLCI: When were you hired at BLCI and what roles have you held over the years?
Dr. Cristina: I began in 2015 with BLCI as the Director of College and Career Success program at the Barrio Logan site. When BLCI took on a new site in El Cajon in 2018, I became the Senior Director and helped establish this new program. As BLCI expanded to more programs into the community, I was hired for a new role as the Chief Program Officer to help with oversight and curriculum for all locations and expansion efforts.
BLCI: You’ve shared that you were the first in your family to go to college. What motivated you to do something different?
Dr. Cristina: As a farm worker all my young life, my father always said that we would end up working in the fields if we didn’t get an education. This was my motivation to want – and to do – more. It is what I wake up to every day to remind myself that I am in a profession that I would not be able to do or enjoy without a college education.
BLCI: How has your decision to pursue education impacted your family? Are you still the 1st and only?
Dr. Cristina: After I pursued my higher education, my younger sisters did too. Although only one was able to stay on the path of college completion, my other siblings understand and see the change a college degree can have and consistently encourage their children to obtain a college degree.
BLCI: What do you think your life would be like today if you had not gone to college?
Dr. Cristina: I truly believe I would have ended up married, divorced with many children, and living on government support if I didn’t have a college education. That is what many expected of me and the options available at that time.
BLCI: You shared that being a part of the TRIO Program at UCSD helped you stay focused in college and graduate. How did this experience influence your own career as an educator in support of 1st gen students and their families?
Dr. Cristina: As the first one in my family to go to college I didn’t know what to expect. TRIO Student Support Services provided a family support system that I could lean on and helped build my own community and a type of family to count on when I couldn’t go home for the holidays. Academically I struggled a lot, but having TRIO helped me not only stay focused on graduating but to understand the significance of what it meant to reach my goal of being “the first.” Through this experience I knew I wanted to work where I could make the path easier for those that came from a similar background.
BLCI: You chose to do your dissertation on the impact of starting a college access program such as BLCI in the 3rd grade. What surprised you most about the results? What were you most proud of?
Dr. Cristina: The support that alumni needed and received from their parents and BLCI staff while in college is what stood out the most. For many, the support they received during the initial transition and during the hard times was critical. Without their support, they wouldn’t have been able to graduate, it was a make it or break it situation.
In addition, when students were homesick, it surprised me to hear in particular mothers being the most supportive and telling their child to stay, when deep inside they wanted to tell their child to come home. They remembered from BLCI workshops that this would be the moment where they needed to keep encouraging their child to persevere and not give in. The early years of college are the most critical, if students can make it to their second year, they are more likely to complete their educational goals. The parents remember this and their support helps with college persistence and ultimately completion.
BLCI: What’s next? From a program perspective, if you could make changes or try something new at BLCI, what would you do and why?
Dr. Cristina: Parents or Caregivers are a huge factor in the work and success of our students. Although we have a Parent Program if I could make any changes, I would like to have a fulltime staff member dedicated to overseeing parent programming for all of our sites to strengthen our programs, build more partnerships, and continue expanding programming for our parents as alumni too.
BLCI: What is one of the student success stories at BLCI that you are most proud of?
Dr. Cristina: An alumna from the first class I worked with overcame a lot of obstacles to enroll, persist and graduate from college. She joined BLCI later, as a high school student, but was motivated and excited about going to college. Towards the end of her senior year her brother was deported, she was devastated and really contemplated not going to college to stay home and help her family. With our support she did enroll and while I was still the CSP Director I made sure to visit her in Sacramento. After she graduated from CSU Sacramento with her BA in Child Development, we continued to meet, and she shared how those visits helped her stay motivated and remain in college and graduate. She currently works as a teacher and is now building the path to education for other youth. She would not be where she is today if we were not there for her and her family.
BLCI: Thank you, Cristina, for sharing your story and empowering so many youth to rewrite their own.
If you haven’t done so already, please consider making a tax deductible year end gift to BLCI. 100% of donations will be matched and can help ensure every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential through education.
Questions? Want to learn more about Dr. Aguirre’s Research? Contact erin@BLCI.org
Prefer to mail in your contribution? Please address check to Century Club of San Diego with a memo of BLCI.
“They [BLCI] have opened the doors for me to new opportunities and have helped my family in many ways like helping my brother and I with college applications.”
Dana
BLCI Senior
