Navigating becoming: Latina leaders speak out

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership.The purpose of this qualitative, narrative study is to give voice to Latinas in leadership. In the last few decades, there have been more women making their entrance into the educational administrative field, but minority females continue to evidence smaller amounts of participation. Although a few studies have reported the number of Latinas in administrative positions, the study of their administrative experiences is limited. Given an ever-emerging diverse student population, developing Latina leaders is urgent. Research advocates that Latinas offer opportunities to best serve minority students due to their personal and professional characteristics, culture, and experiences. Although the Latino(a) population continues to grow in the United States, Latino(a) leaders are underrepresented, and so are their recruitment, development, and retention needs in the literature. Thus, this topic is vital for education research, education policy, and educational leadership practice. The five primary themes resulting from the testimonios of these leaders included their perspectives on how their identities shaped them as leaders as well as how the various barriers they encountered not only challenged them but made them stronger leaders. Additionally, these participants shared how their cultural expectations informed them as leaders. When opportunities presented themselves, these Latinas stepped up to those challenges seeing them as opportunities. Finally, the participants shared how their resiliency was a culmination of their life and leadership experiences, both being noteworthy to the impact they shared as leaders. The study concludes with recommendations for aspiring Latina leaders.Educational Leadership, Curriculum & InstructionCollege of Education and Human Developmen