RISING ABOVE THE ADOBE CEILING: A HERMENEUTIC PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF MENTORING AND SOCIAL CAPITAL INFLUENCES AMONG CALIFORNIA LATINA NONPROFIT LEADERS

Empirical research studies that focus on the experiences of Latinas in executive leadership are limited. In its entirety, workforce research has overlooked how social and cultural experiences influence this group’s leadership development. This gap in research has failed to uplift the Latina executive voice and their achievements. Addressing this gap has the potential to influence distinctive workforce practices and future scholarship. Utilizing an asset-based perspective, this study presents counter narratives that intentionally focus on exploring Latina leaders’ voices. The importance of intersectional experience and social identities illustrate non-monolithic, yet aligned, experiences among study participants. This foundational dissertation explored mentoring phenomena through a qualitative study with Latina, nonprofit, chief executive officers (CEO) in the State of California as protégés. The nonprofit racial leadership gap provided context for the high number of Latinas/os in California relative to the minimal number of Latinas holding executive positions. This context warranted a necessary exploration into how mentoring experiences positively influenced Latina leadership development (LLD) so that findings may be replicated for future practice. A hermeneutic phenomenological research design maintained participant engagement which explored two key research questions: 1. What are the salient characteristics of quality mentoring relationships for Latina nonprofit executive leaders in California 2. How have quality mentoring relationships influenced Latina leaders’ sense of self-efficacy and leadership development? Data were collected via demographic questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and researcher field notes. Participants included 10 Latina CEOs of California nonprofit organizations. They represented all five regions of the state. Study findings demonstrated that:(a) mentoring relationship type evolved over time, b) a constellation of mentors were integral to leadership growth, c) mentors supported expressions of authenticity and LLD, d) mentor-protégé match suitability acted as a sphere of influence, and e) peer mentoring promoted a sense of openness and vulnerability. Findings revealed that quality mentoring relationships encouraged participant leadership development that positively impacted executive self-efficacy and retention. Recommendations are presented that further support Latina executive leaders’ development. Four recommendations are presented for formal and informal mentoring practices, and two proposals are offered for future mentoring research that extends the foundational work of this study. Furthermore, a researcher journal was maintained throughout the duration of this study. The journal led to the development of a researcher self-reflexivity process model. This model illustrated how researcher positionality evolved from insider-to-outsider, yet sustained researcher-participant engagement from pre-data collection through data analysis that reconciled pre-suppositions, interpretations, and meaning-making. This study represents the richness found in stories that have been minimally included in empirical literature. It offers implications for the value of uplifting voices to enhance leadership practice and future research

There is a Monster in my House, Cultura Cura Uncovering 11 Milliones de Sueños: Understanding the Emotional and Psychological Experiences of Undocumented and Mixed-Status Youth and Finding Healing Spaces

This research gives voice to the emotional experiences of mixed-status and undocumented youth, and explores the Mexican cultural arts as a healing space for this community of children. This research expands our mental health understanding of undocumented and mixed status children, capturing the undocu-trauma these participants describe in narrating the chronic fear they live with. Their stories speak to the monster of fear, la migra, witches in the field, Trump, racism, societal violence and trauma that is invisible in their home but alive in their daily lives. The participants in this study narrate the power of the cultural arts to heal and create comunidad through a non-profit that has concentrated its efforts on using ballet folklórico, Mariachi, education, culture, and social justice and social work as a temascal of healing in their community. This qualitative research journey represents a critical discursive space that examines these youths’ narratives to emphasizes the urgency of addressing the psychological consequences of being an undocumented or mixed-status child in the United States. This qualitative research uses testimonio as methodology to document how culture rises as a shield of protection and has inspired these youth to reclaim their identities, heal societal wounds, and find strength through using the cultural arts as resistance and power. Their participation in a Northern California cultural arts non-profit organization opened the doors for a community to unite behind these children and families using a combination of the cultural arts, education, and social justice to uncover the cultural citizenship of these folklore heroes. The program of 11 Millones de Sueños has transformed into a space of cariño to capture the orgullo, esfuerza, corazón, and resistance of these youth to help them withstand the emotional suffering that has gone unrecognized for too long. Their participation in the program, their cultural wealth, resistance, determination and familia has inspired a cultural citizenship that extends beyond papers. Their citizenship is rooted in character, leadership, community service, comunidad, orgullo y alegria, danza, mariachi y folklore. No longer afraid to be seen, these youth stand strong against the societal monsters that have attempted to dismantle their humanity

Dibujando En Tent City: Art By Asylum Seeking Children in the U.S. - Mexico Border

The existing Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), also known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy, have criminalized asylum and dehumanized asylum-seeking individuals. MPP requires asylum seekers who arrive at any U.S. port of entry across the entire southern border to wait in Mexico while their cases are processed in U.S. immigration courts. Using testimonio research, this study presents the artistic accounts of 7 Central American asylum-seeking children who are living in a “migrant camp” in Matamoros, Tamaulipas next to the Gateway International Bridge. Migrant camps are open-air tent encampments in which asylum seekers are living in unsafe and unsanitary conditions while they await their asylum interview. These hazardous conditions make them susceptible to respiratory diseases such as coronavirus (COVID-19). Sharing these experiences is critical to ensure that health professionals’ advocacy efforts reflect asylum seekers’ needs and life experiences. Given the violence inflicted by MPP and the risks associated with COVID-19, this manuscript demands the end of this policy to protect the psychological health of an already vulnerable community, asylum seeking children. Advocacy implications are also discussed

SOX2-DEPENDENT TRANSCRIPTIONAL CONTROL OF AIRWAY DIFFERENTIATION IN THE MOUSE LUNG

The lung is a highly branched tree-like tubular system that results from more than 20 generations of the conducting airways and consists of 300 million alveoli for gas exchange. Airway branches form via branching morphogenesis and then mature into conducting airways, in which the number and distribution of different cell types need to be precisely controlled. The conducting airways contain four lung cell types: club cells, ciliated cells, basal cells, and neuroendocrine cells.SOX2 is a well-known conducting airway marker. SOX2 is a transcription factor that is known to be important in embryonic development and induction of pluripotent stem cells. We hypothesized that SOX2 controls cell differentiation in the conducting airways. To determine the role of SOX2 in the conducting airways, we used various mouse models to determine if SOX2 controls cell differentiation. SOX2 was deleted in the lung epithelium by using Sox2EGFP/CKO and ShhCre/+. We observed a decrease in club cell, basal cell, and neuroendocrine cell differentiation when Sox2 is absent in the conducting airways. SOX2 overexpression was done by using Rosa26R-lox-stop-loxSox2(Gt(Rosa)26Sortm1/Sox2/blh) in the lung epithelium, Sox9 distal progenitor cells, alveolar type 1 cells, and alveolar type 2 cells. We found that SOX2 expression in the alveoli region reprograms alveoli cells into conducting airway cells. Mutant alveolar type 1 and type 2 cells expressing SOX2 are able to generate basal –like cells. Further, through microarray analysis we found SOX21, a transcription factor, significantly down regulated in the absence of Sox2. Sox21 has a unique expression pattern in the conducting airways. The expression of SOX21 is uniform in the proximal airways and sporadic in the distal airways. Together, these data suggest SOX2 controls cell differentiation in the conducting airways. Our data regarding how Sox2 controls airway cell differentiation in the mouse lung gives insight regarding direct differentiation from an immature cell to a specialize cell

Cruzando fronteras: Liberation psychology in a counseling psychology immersion program

Using testimonio research, this study explores the immersion experiences of 15 counseling psychology students enrolled in an immersion program in Huejotal, Huaquechula. Based on core concepts of Liberation Psychology, this immersion program sought to increase students’ critical consciousness through conscientization, deideologization, denaturalization, and problematization. A thematic analysis of written testimonios includes coding, checks for internal validity, and the generation of important themes across student participants. Results revealed six themes: reclaiming identity; journeying with “nuestros ancestros and familias [our ancestors and families]”; “los niños [the children] as teachers”; cultural wealth; “comunidad como familia [community as family]”; and “cruzando fronteras [crossing borders]” as a call to social action. Results confirmed past research findings that liberation-based immersion courses could be empowering pedagogical experiences for counseling psychology students. This study expands the body of knowledge on counseling psychology immersion programs and has implications for future Liberation-Psychology-based immersion courses with LatinX communities. Public Significance Statement: This study underscores the important role that Liberation- Psychology-based immersion courses may play in counseling psychology students’ personal and professional development. Findings have implications for future Liberation-Psychology-based immersion courses with LatinX communities

Leveraging the Power of Mutual Aid, Coalitions, Leadership, and Advocacy during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on the norms, patterns, and power structures in the United States that privilege certain groups of people over others. This manuscript describes COVID-19 as an unprecedented catalyst for social transformation that underscores the need for multi-level and cross-sectoral solutions to address systemic changes to improve health equity for all. The authors propose that the American Psychological Association and its membership can initiate systemic change, in part, by: (a) supporting mutual aid organizations that prioritize the needs of vulnerable communities; (b) leveraging the efforts and strides APA psychologists have already made within the association, in the profession, and in policymaking to attend to the health equity and the needs of marginalized communities; (c) building capacity for collaboration between a broad coalition of health associations, health experts, and policymakers to address the physio-psycho-socioeconomic needs of disadvantaged communities, and (d) increasing APA’s participation in the formulation and implementation of an advocacy agenda that prioritizes the physical and psychological health of the communities whose lives are most endangered by COVID-19. Public Significance Statement. Our article aims to emphasize the important role that social determinants of health play for marginalized communities. It has the potential to inform health professionals, including psychologists, about support and advocacy strategies that seek to improve health equity during and after the COVID-19 pandemic is contained

Usability and Psychosocial Impact of Decision Support to Increase Sexual Health Education in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities

Despite sexual and reproductive health disparities, few evidence-based sexual health education programs exist for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth, with even fewer tools available to assist AI/AN communities in adopting, implementing, and maintaining such programs. iCHAMPSS (Choosing And Maintaining effective Programs for Sex education in Schools) is a theory- and web-based decision-support-system designed to address dissemination barriers and increase the reach and fidelity of evidence-based programs (EBPs), specifically sexual health education programs. To investigate the potential of iCHAMPSS in AI/AN communities, we pilot-tested iCHAMPSS with adult stakeholders (N = 36) from agencies across the country that serve AI/AN communities. Stakeholders were recruited to review selected iCHAMPSS tools over two weeks in spring 2016. Pre- and post-surveys were administered to assess usability constructs, short-term psychosocial outcomes, and perceived feasibility. Data were analyzed using descriptive and non-parametric statistics. iCHAMPSS was perceived as acceptable, easy to use, credible, appealing, more helpful than current resources, and impactful of EBP adoption, implementation, and maintenance. Conversely, using iCHAMPSS significantly increased participants’ perceived barriers to adopting an EBP (p = 0.01). Overall, AI/AN stakeholders responded positively to iCHAMPSS, indicating the potential for adaptation to support the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based sexual health education in AI/AN communities

Latino Teen Pregnancy in Texas: Prevalence, Prevention, and Policy

Texas is home to over one million Latino teens who are at risk for negative reproductive health outcomes, such as teen pregnancy and STIs. Teen pregnancy disproportionately impacts the health of Latino teens in Texas and places them at risk of continued high rates of poverty, school dropout, and unemployment unless Texas makes a concerted effort to reduce its teen pregnancy rate. The birth rate among Latina girls is astonishing: 98 per 1000 Latinas (aged 15-19) are giving birth. This translates to over 32,000 births each year among Latina teens, costing almost $98 million in direct medical expenditures and well over$638 million if other costs are included. Most teens become sexually experienced while they are of school age, which translates to an estimated 414,583 sexually experienced Latino students attending Texas public schools. Of these Latino youth, 237,466 report being currently sexually active, and 89,000 report having had four or more sexual partners in their lifetime. While causes of teen pregnancy are complex, the solutions to teen pregnancy are known. Texas needs an effective, comprehensive approach to address the sexual health needs of Texas Latino youth that includes: statewide implementation and monitoring of evidence-based sex education for middle school and high school students, access to reproductive health services for students who are already sexually experienced, and widespread training on adolescent sexual health for teachers, service providers, and parents. By tackling teen pregnancy, we can positively impact the future and well-being of not only Latinos, but of all Texans, and subsequently can contribute to the social and economic success of Texas

Adolescent Sexual Behavior: Examining Data from Texas and the US

Background: The US has higher rates of teen births and sexually transmitted infections (STI) than other developed countries. Texas youth are disproportionately impacted. Purpose: To review local, state, and national data on teens’ engagement in sexual risk behaviors to inform policy and practice related to teen sexual health. Methods: 2009 middle school and high school Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data, and data from All About Youth, a middle school study conducted in a large urban school district in Texas, were analyzed to assess the prevalence of sexual initiation, including the initiation of non-coital sex, and the prevalence of sexual risk behaviors among Texas and US youth. Results: A substantial proportion of middle and high school students are having sex. Sexual initiation begins as early as 6th grade and increases steadily through 12th grade with almost two-thirds of high school seniors being sexually experienced. Many teens are not protecting themselves from unintended pregnancy or STIs – nationally, 80% and 39% of high school students did not use birth control pills or a condom respectively the last time they had sex. Many middle and high school students are engaging in oral and anal sex, two behaviors which increase the risk of contracting an STI and HIV. In Texas, an estimated 689,512 out of 1,327,815 public high school students are sexually experienced – over half (52%) of the total high school population. Texas students surpass their US peers in several sexual risk behaviors including number of lifetime sexual partners, being currently sexually active, and not using effective methods of birth control or dual protection when having sex. They are also less likely to receive HIV/AIDS education in school. Conclusion: Changes in policy and practice, including implementation of evidence-based sex education programs in middle and high schools and increased access to integrated, teen-friendly sexual and reproductive health services, are urgently needed at the state and national levels to address these issues effectively

Assessing the Need and Receptivity for an Integrated Healthy Sexual and Dating Relationships Intervention for Community College Students

Background: In emerging adulthood, youth often become involved in more serious romantic relationships. However, many lack the skills to avoid an unplanned pregnancy or sexually transmitted infection (STI), and to ensure a healthy dating relationship. Community college students serve nearly half of all undergraduate students in the United States; yet, community colleges typically lack resources for sexual health promotion. Purpose: To assess the need and receptivity for a web-based integrated healthy sexual and dating relationships intervention among community college students. Methods: In summer 2016, we partnered with three community colleges in South Central Texas to conduct an online survey of students’ sexual behaviors and dating relationships, and usability testing of activities from an integrated, web-based healthy sexual and dating relationship intervention. Results: Online survey participants (n=271) were 70% female, 38% Hispanic, 24% White, 17% Black, and 16% Asian; 20% self-identified as sexual minority; mean age was 20.8 years (SD = 2.05). Participants reported high rates of sexual risk behavior including sex without a condom or an effective birth control method, low use of long-acting reversible contraception, frequent use of emergency contraception, and low use of dual protection to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Two-thirds reported experiencing any type of dating violence perpetration or victimization in the past year. Usability testing participants (n=14) were 86% female, 42% Hispanic, 50% Asian/Pacific Islander, 14% Black, and 7% White; 71% were sexually experienced; mean age was 20.7 years (SD = 1.64). The web-based activities were highly rated in terms of usability parameters, and positively impacted short-term psychosocial outcomes related to condom use, accessing contraceptive health services, and constructive interpersonal conflict resolution. Conclusion: Findings underscore the high need and receptivity for an integrated healthy sexual and dating relationship web-based intervention among community college students, an understudied subgroup of youth in emerging adulthood