My mother was born in a small community in Mayagüez Puerto Rico in the 1970’s, Manufacturing industries were provided federal incentives to operate in Puerto Rico and my dad (one of 11 siblings) was provided the opportunity to go to Stevens Institute of Technology right on the Hudson where you can see the Manhattan skyline across the river. My parents moved to take advantage of the opportunity. He earned his PhD in chemical engineering as part of a program meant to send people from the island to study and come back so there are leaders in the organization who were local and bilingual. After the program is complete, my parents return to the island with me in tow. 

My dad was laid off from his employment as the economy in the island continued its downward spiral from the 1980’s. Hundreds of manufacturing plants that had been receiving government incentives closed down leading to the loss of 13,000 jobs and unemployment rates reaching 20% in early 1990’s. This is when my family (mom, dad, younger brother, and I) moved to New Orleans from Puerto Rico. While my dad struggled to find work, my mom transferred to the Naval Support Activity New Orleans on Poland Street. At the age of thirteen, I entered Grace King High School as a sophomore during a time when the graduation rate in Louisiana was 63% and Hispanics were dropping out of high school at two to three times the rate of other classmates. The shock came as the realization hit that opportunity was not being distributed or experienced the same for everyone. I encountered classmates who were lost in translation and even though I spoke English, I must admit that Louisiana has its own language. 

In my English as a Second language courses, I chose to make the best use of my time by helping classmates excel in their language skills. As a 15 year old senior, I was not allowed to leave half day and even though I only needed 3 classes to graduate I took a full load. Nevertheless, I graduated high school and went off to college while my parents moved back to Puerto Rico leaving over 1,600 miles and ocean waters between us, similar to the distance between PR and NYC. Unlike the direct flights my abuela took between NYC and PR as a teenager to visit her family, my journey would be at least two flights and nearly an entire day to visit. It did not happen often. It is at this time, at a similar age as my abuela, that I truly begin my journey.

After failing out and appealing the situation thanks to the support of my fraternity organization, I graduated college with a BS in Psychology, which I tell people I use every day. During that time, I also earned the title of dad with my two oldest daughters being born while I was in college. I began my professional career working with Habitat for Humanity in various roles such as family services coordinator culminating as a resource development manager. The executive director there inspired me to pursue an MBA. I completed it while transitioning into the U.S. Air Force and my youngest daughter being born. Within the Engineering Squadron, I was an emergency management instructor. This is where I first experienced how rewarding teaching can be for me and for the students.  My unit’s Master Sergeant was very supportive of my passion for teaching. I also learned data analysis and predictive analytics as part of my role encompassed calculations and recommendations of the impact of various emergencies including chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear attacks. These data analytics tools came in handy later, but for now I focused on teaching. Through a variety of institutions and consulting efforts, I have been involved in curriculum development and teaching in military, secondary, undergraduate, and graduate level; in-person, online, and blended environments. 

It was when I stepped foot in a community college classroom that I found where I belong. I held various positions at Delgado Community College in New Orleans, LA including Instructor of Business, Assistant Dean of Business and Technology, and Executive Director of Planning and Research. I used what I’ve learned in data analytics to analyze programs of study viability and sustainability for various angles such as enrollment growth, graduation rates, revenue generation. A few events occurred as I was completing my PhD while working at Delgado, Hurricane Katrina and a divorce to name two. Supportive colleagues and friends could be found at nearly every turn as I maneuvered these life events.  

These events helped me refocus on my daughters now as a single parent for the next fifteen years and counting. My parents, as their parents before them, wanted my brother and I to be able to see a future that is better than they could see. For me to carry that forward with my three daughters (who are now 23, 21, 18), it became about creating a better future for our communities, so they can see a better future than I could ever see at their age. My daughters became my personal focus. I enjoy traveling and exploring in groups or alone, but most of all with my girls. They have certainly explored more places than I had at their age. I also enjoy reading non-fiction for fun and cooking, especially blending Puerto Rican and New Orleans cuisines.

Today, I serve as the Chief Education and Training Officer with Louisiana’s Community & Technical Colleges (LCTCS), a public, multi-institution system serving a diverse student population seeking workforce development training, academic programs of study, and the high school equivalency. The 12 independently accredited institutions span nearly every parish of the state 70+ teaching locations) and collectively serve 140,000 students, transfer 14,000 students, and graduate 34,000 individuals on an annual basis. In my role, I provide statewide leadership in academic affairs, adult education, data quality and reporting (transcript processing, registrar services), institutional effectiveness & research, manufacturing extension centers, student services (admissions, enrollment management, financial aid, student engagement, etc.), and workforce development.  

Throughout my career in higher education, I have placed focus on accelerating the student experience with tools leading students to achieving their educational goals in a timely manner, such as data exchange, short-term credentials, compressed programs, prior learning assessments, and co-requisite scheduling. These and other efforts have led to the record-breaking graduating class at LCTCS from 19,810 in 2014 to 33,428 in 2020 encompassing a significant growth in short term credentials and certificates. This record-breaking class of 2020 comprised a 7% increase in minority students graduating primarily of African American and Hispanic backgrounds.  

Even with the collective successes of the past, there is much left to be accomplished. People 66 years later continue to struggle with similar situations as my grandmother did, families continue to deal with situations like my dad and my family did 30 years ago, single parents balance school and work as I did 15 years ago, and adult learners in general have life events occurring that require their attention away from education and training. The students and communities we, in higher education, serve deserve the opportunity to see a better future than that which could ever be imagined. I find it exciting to be part of the team at LCTCS that supports an equitable and inclusive environment in which students can be successful from pre-application through post-graduation. 

 

Fun Facts (or at least I think they are):

My abuela raved about how good the flan came out, confusing my flan for hers. No one had the heart to correct her.

My parents got lost at the amusement park and I had them paged from the information center when I was 5.

After having to order pizza from a failed attempt at cooking mahi mahi, my girls and I have enjoyed every culinary creation. The vast majority of meals are homemade from scratch (no boxed pancakes or hamburger helpers here). 

Daily dinner as a family is important and it happens often (cooking, eating, cleaning together). 

I play music and dance when I cook. I have tricked my daughters by playing music in the kitchen and making noise while take out was being delivered. We like fun and harmless kidding around.

I enjoy writing by hand and leave notes for my daughters. They leave some for me too and sometimes start the sequence of notes; especially the ones hidden in a book or in a closed laptop. Warms my heart.

I read non-fiction, watch fiction (science fiction or sit-coms). 

 

Favorite Books: ¡Sálvese quien pueda!: El futuro del trabajo en la era de la automatización by Andres Oppenheimer (available in English: The Robots Are Coming!: The Future of Jobs in the Age of Automation), Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven and Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in GirlsHardcover both by Lisa Damour, Ph.D

Favorite Movies: In the Heights, Clue, Back to the Future series, Marvel Cinematic Universe up to End Game

Top TV shows: (alone) La Casa de Papel, El Ministerio del Tiempo, Doctor Who and (with family) Friends, How I Met Your Mother, Modern Family. 

Favorite Artists: (long time) Shakira, Ricky Martin, Daddy Yankee, and (recent) Karol G, Bad Bunny, and Maluma. By chance, they are either Puerto Rican or Colombian and only Bad Bunny has collaborated with all of the others.