Isabelle Rios Hernández-Colón: Social Justice in Higher Education Award
The Social Justice in Higher Education Award is presented to a graduating student in the student development in higher education master’s program who has demonstrated deep and consistent commitment to understanding, analyzing, and advancing both theory and practice related to diversity, inclusivity, and social justice in higher education as evidenced by both academic and co-curricular pursuits and accomplishments during their graduate studies.
The 2022 recipient of this award, Isabelle ‘Isa’ Rios Hernández-Colón (She/Her/Ella) holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Latin American Studies from Wayne State University in Detroit. Isa’s lived experiences as a Latina pursuing higher education motivated her to pursue studies in student development in higher education to learn more about equitable and inclusive higher education practices. During her time at UMaine, she has been an assistant community coordinator in Residence Life, a graduate student success coach at Eastern Maine Community College, and was able to publish research. After graduation, Isa will be attending the Warner School of Education’s doctoral program in Higher Education with a Provost Fellowship. She is looking forward to doing research that addresses issues of educational access within the Latina/o/x community at Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs).
Isa would like to add: “To my Latine community, al fin del día, este logro siempre es para nuestra comunidad.”