“She Says” with Araceli Muñoz Salazar

There’s a lot that happens when you turn 18. You’re officially an adult. You can vote. You can even serve in the armed forces. And for many 18-year-olds, you leave the nest and go face the next big challenge in your life―college. While that may sound like freedom or a chance to find yourself for some, for others, especially first-generation college students, it can be filled with many uncertainties. Just ask Araceli Muñoz Salazar. At 18 years old, and the first in her family to do so, she courageously went away to school without knowing anyone and stepped foot on her college campus for the first time on move-in day.

Thankfully, that single act of bravery helped pave the way to her current role as the Latinx Engagement Coordinator at Waubonsee Community College. There, she leans into her prior experience as a college student to help support Hispanic Students as they navigate college life. Something that she not only feels deeply passionate about, but hopes will one day become her legacy.

Araceli’s story is a tale of bravery, compassion, empathy, and humility. And we are honored to share her journey in this month’s “She Says.” Continue reading to learn more about Araceli Muñoz Salazar, the importance of serving students of Hispanic Heritage, being a first-generation professional, and what she would tell her 18-year-old self.

Tell me about yourself.

I am a proud, first-generation college graduate. I come from a Mexican family and am very proud of my heritage. My identity has shaped many of my experiences as a student, where I am right now, and the work that I do.

I obtained a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Western Illinois University (WIU) and struggled with what I wanted to do post-undergrad. My senior year of college was during COVID, and it altered a lot of my plans. Before the pandemic, I had an internship lined up, but because of quarantine, it was canceled. So, as a result, I began working at a domestic violence shelter in Elgin. There, I was a case manager and eventually became a court advocate. I helped with orders of protection and was the only bilingual person in my department, so my caseload was pretty significant. But I felt good about the work I did. I got to use my degree and help people in my community who weren’t knowledgeable about how the criminal and civil justice systems worked. And I got to provide a lot of resources.

At that time, I thought I wanted to be a lawyer, so I started researching and applying to law schools. However, everything changed when my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, and I decided to step back from school to focus on working. This pause made me reconsider huge financial decisions, and as I spent more time on my job, I realized I was struggling to separate work from home life. My workload remained intense, and eventually I grew unhappy, but I still didn’t know what direction to take next.

This confusion is common among first-generation students who also become first-generation professionals. Navigating entirely new experiences is challenging, and guidance is often needed. Realizing I needed a different job, I still wasn’t sure where to turn next.

Fortunately, through the connections I made in college, a good friend reached out with a job opportunity. She had just been hired at Waubonsee Community College as a coordinator in their Latinx Resource Center and was hiring for another role. As she described the position, it made me reflect on my involvement with WIU’s Casa Latina Resource Center during undergrad and the joy I found in being part of that community, even though I hadn’t considered it as a career before.

Going back to the job opportunity at Waubonsee, I wasn’t sure if my skills were transferable, but since I had my degree, I decided to apply anyway. And I ended up being offered the job!

So, here I am, in a role that has been very transformative. I am in a position where I work directly with students who have the same identities and experiences as me, and it has been so fulfilling. I think about the time after I graduated and feeling directionless, only to now help students navigate and discover their purpose, or set goals, or even be an example of a professional in the workforce. I now know that this is where I am supposed to be versus any of my previous roles.

I love this work so much that I eventually went back to school and got my master’s degree in higher education this past July from Northeastern University. Working here with my students and being passionate about my community and helping first-generation students just holds a special place in my heart. Because I understand what they are going through.

You don’t hear many people talk about their experiences as a first-generation professional. Can you share how you prepare your students for life after college?

I’m just honest with them. I think they appreciate the authenticity of even me sharing my own challenges of being young and learning, and trying to figure myself out. Like how I present myself in meetings or trainings, or even what I wear, what conferences to attend, or what connections to make. My authenticity is very relatable.

But I’m also intentional about programming for my students. For example, I’m currently overseeing our C.A.M.I.N.O.S. Program (Creating Alliance through Mentoring and Inclusive Navigation of Opportunities for Students), which is our mentoring program for our first-gen Latinx students. Through that program, we also host different workshops based on academic support and professional development.

Our professional development workshop teaches the students things like how to create a portfolio and how to present themselves in a professional environment while still honoring who they are. When you think about professionalism, it is rooted in a lot of whiteness. For example, how to dress and how to act. And sometimes people feel as though they have to look a certain way to be accepted in professional settings. But you can still maintain your professionalism while being true to your cultural identity and even use it to your advantage.

Can you share some background on Waubonsee and its work as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI)?

Waubonsee Community College has been an HSI since 2009. We were actually one of the first community colleges in Illinois to gain that designation. Currently, 43 percent of our credit-enrolled students identify as Hispanic which is huge. And we have been making even more strides under our new leadership.

I have been fortunate to be involved in committees for Hispanic Heritage Month and being intentional about how we want to celebrate, but also educate. We want to bring awareness to why our percentage of Hispanic students matter, so it’s important to have student voices prevalent. For instance, I have hosted student panels with staff and faculty so they have an idea of what their experiences look like. We also have campuses in Sugar Grove, Aurora Downtown, Aurora Fox Valley, and Plano, and each student’s experience is different depending on which campus they attend.

Some of our students don’t feel as represented on our main campus as they do at our Aurora Downtown Campus, which is predominantly Hispanic. That could be due to a lack of representation or a difference in programming. So, we have been working on listening to our students to find ways to better serve them.

Recently, we brought in a Tamborazo band and invited our students to enjoy their culture with live music and dancing in the middle of campus. Little things like that are what they care about and give them a sense of familiarity. We even had students tell us that the candy we provided reminded them of their childhoods. For us, it may not be that big of a deal, but for them, it shows that we care and that we want them to feel represented.

The staff has even taken an increased interest in finding ways to serve our students. Having allies in our DEI department has been a huge help. So, Dr. Marleigha Evans, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Jenissa Niño, Senior Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator, for example, are two people whom I really look up to. Last year, we took 17 students to a conference at the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI), and they had such an amazing experience, they haven’t stopped talking about it. And we want to do it again. We want to help other students.

Let’s talk about the importance of serving students of Hispanic Heritage.

Where we are right now, Hispanic people are the fastest-growing minority group in the United States. And that’s not just in national demographics; that’s being represented in everything, including education. However, although Hispanic students have high enrollment numbers, they have low retention rates. And a lot of factors contribute to that. Some include finances, lack of resources, or lack of understanding of how to navigate the college system. There’s also the cultural aspect.

In the Hispanic culture, family is very important. A lot of times, we’re expected to contribute to the family financially. So, if there’s a financial hardship, the first thing to go is education. If a family says they need help, the student will typically take a semester or two off to help, with the intention of returning, but don’t. It’s not a matter of if they want to do it; they need to.

But my thought is, if Hispanic students are enrolling in colleges at such high rates, then what can we do to help them stay, especially in community colleges? We have to shift our priorities when it comes to serving them. And that involves including the family because they are a very important value to our students. College is not just a “them” decision; it’s a family decision. So, we want them to feel like they belong on campus. We want them to know they can be here and have a connection, and be involved.

When we want to serve these students, there can be pushback. Some people will say that we have to serve all students, which is true. But when we’re serving Hispanic students, we’re serving all students. I think anyone who is first gen can benefit from a first gen program. The same way anyone can go to a fun, cultural event and learn something new. Hispanic is not necessarily a race. You can be Hispanic and Black, Hispanic and white, Hispanic and Asian. Being Hispanic captures a lot of our students because it’s so incredibly diverse.

Can you share more about the history of the Latinx Resource Center?

Because of our designation, we qualify for certain grants. One of them is the Title V grant. Through that grant and because of student feedback, we were able to create a physical space. Our students are able to utilize it for hanging with friends, doing homework, or hosting events. And in addition to the C.A.M.I.N.O.S. Program, we have the College of Empowerment, which is our family outreach program, and we have P.A.S.O.S. (Preparing and Advancing Students for Opportunities and Success), which is our summer bridge program for incoming freshmen from our high school districts.

Aside from these programs, we offer one-on-one assistance to a lot of our students on help with their FAFSA application, reviewing scholarship essays, or career guidance. We’re also involved in all of our HSI initiatives on campus. I help advise MECHA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlan), which is a group that is dedicated to promoting unity and respect for one another, and I’m also involved with Latinos Unidos, an organization that provides cultural opportunities for students. And we also do a lot of collaborations with other groups on campus, such as TRIO Upward Bound, academic support, and student life.

What makes you proud of the work that you do?

What makes me proud of the work that I do are the students and the impact this work has on them. We asked students what being a part of an HSI means to them, and one student said, “It makes me feel like I belong here, even though I’ve never imagined that I would end up here in the U.S. as a student. It also means that the institution has hired people of my own, and it’s one of the most important things to me here. It is super simple if I ever wish to speak with someone about anything. At least here, at Waubonsee, there are tons of Latino people I can comfortably speak with about anything. And it’s truly such a lifesaver for me. Ever since I stepped into the Latinx Resource Center, I’ve never felt alone anymore.” And another said, “It means that the school I’m attending has a great majority of students who share their heritage with me. It means that I’m part of a community filled with family. In these desperate times, it means that we are going to be there to protect one another.”

What makes us a success as an HSI is the fact that our students feel so comfortable being themselves and that they feel represented and that they know there are people who look like them, who they can identify with, who have their back and will protect them. That, to me, means we’re doing a good job. Our students feel like they belong here.

What do you hope your legacy will be?

I hope students see me as someone who is here to represent them, to guide them, and to protect them. I hope that my authenticity leaves a big impact on their lives, and that even after they have moved on, they know they can always come to me. I want them to know that the Latinx Resource Center will always be home.

Given your career path, what would you tell your 18-year-old self when you started college?

Oh, that is a beautiful question. Recently, I thought about my journey and how courageous I was at 18. I took a lot of risks. I went to this campus at 18, not knowing anyone, without ever having visited it before, and I moved away from home. I was so hyper-focused on making sure I did everything right and had to be that perfect student. I felt like in order for me to be someone, I had to prove myself.

But I would ultimately tell my 18-year-old self that things would be okay, to not be so hard on myself, to give myself grace, and to remind myself that I was doing the best that I could. More importantly, though, I would remind myself that everything is going to be okay, and to thank myself for being so brave, and to continue to hold on to that because it’s going to serve so many.