The Californer - Cal State LA student finds passion in educational policy and leadership

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LOS ANGELES - Californer -- Until she took her first Chicana(o) and Latina(o) Studies class, Janneth Najera never felt like her college courses and professors spoke her language. She was not referring to either Spanish or English, but rather the unspoken cultural implications already understood within the Latina/o community.

"I would say things like my mom didn't want me to move out of the house after I graduated high school," Najera said, "and I didn't have to explain that. My professors just understood what that meant and understood the challenges that came with that. And it was the same with my colleagues."

"So, it just felt like home, both academically and on a very, very personal level," she added.

Najera will receive her Master of Arts in Chicana(o) and Latina(o) Studies later this month from Cal State LA, where she has also been advocating for students as a member of the Student Success Committee for the College of Ethnic Studies and the Planning Committee for the Association of Ethnic Studies.

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The Valley Village resident has reviewed and recommended policy, plans, and procedures to the college dean regarding matters related to recruitment, advisement, and retention; dealt with matters concerning college and departmental climate for students, student groups, and activities; provided periodic evaluation of student support services; and elected college members to subcommittees of the University Student Policy Committee.

In the fall, Najera will attend University of California, Berkeley, for a Ph.D. program in education, with a focus on policy and leadership. Her goals are to become a university professor, and eventually continue her policy work in academic affairs. Read more: https://news.calstatela.edu/2024/05/09/janneth-najera/