Bienvenidos a Indiana: Insights from an ACE Fellow Hailing from Mexico
I didn’t think it was likely for sunny Baja California, Mexico, to have much in common with snowy Indiana. Not the food, nor the geography, nor the lifestyle. But when I landed an American Council of Education (ACE) Fellowship and was graciously hosted at Purdue University Northwest (PNW) in northwest Indiana, I discovered that these two unique places share a fundamental similarity — their forward-looking leaders and people.
What you might not know, and I was delighted to discover, is that both Baja California and Indiana are home to tomorrow’s world leaders — including extraordinary young individuals with diverse backgrounds and powerful stories of grit and resilience. In retrospect, immersing myself in the diverse communities of Indiana has had a profound effect on my own professional path and the service I wish to provide to CETYS University — my home university.
As an Associate Dean, I have been eager to interact with global university leaders to better understand higher education. I was honored to be nominated by CETYS University President, Dr. Fernando León García, and accepted to the ACE Fellows Program, a leadership development program for higher education senior administrators and professoriate.
A former ACE Fellow himself, Dr. León García’s mentoring was — and remains — instrumental in my aspirations to observe and learn what senior leadership entails in a fast-paced, ever-changing global environment. During my fellowship at PNW, I learned about organizational identity, leadership dynamics, team management, community outreach, university administration and improving the student experience from a strategic standpoint.
What’s best is that I felt at home. The Fellows were all from diverse backgrounds like me and we shared a passion for higher education and spurring change. We had the opportunity to engage in peer-to-peer learning and interact with thought leaders who are shaping the field through their outstanding work.
Purdue University Northwest — and the Purdue University System as a whole — is a fascinating place to learn about the philosophy of change and navigating transition. As an institution that unified two campuses, Purdue Calumet and Purdue North Central, I spent my year attending university-wide events, summits, workshops, and senior leadership meetings, and observing how institutional governance operates. This hands-on involvement allowed me to view how operational and strategic teams relay messages. The profound insights gleaned from such discussions produced initiatives that will serve as a pathway towards a new, robust institutional strategic plan. I consider this insider view a pivotal experience to my understanding effective university programs and mergers. And these are lessons I will take back to my home institution and to Baja California.
Building a powerful identity for a higher education institution is a tremendous endeavor. However, what I have come to understand is that there is an identity in transition. Each senior leader offers a different perspective regarding what a place like PNW is and what it should be. Even after leaving PNW, watching how the Chancellor continues to mentor this dynamic group into establishing a thriving, healthy and sustainable institution is a priceless experience.
This fellowship remains one of my most significant life experiences in large part due to the close mentoring I received from senior leaders. These relationships evoked deep reflection in me, allowing me to compare higher education approaches on both sides of the border.
As I return to Baja California and my position at CETYS University, I do so with a broader understanding of how seemingly different and distant higher education institutions can apply strategic big-picture thinking. Now, I feel further inspired to become an agent of change and champion improvements across the entire CETYS University system.
Gabriela Rivera is Associate Director for International Affairs at CETYS University.
