Date of Award
6-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Publisher
Santa Clara : Santa Clara University, 2025
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Abstract
Despite Latine students comprising 48% of California Community College (CCC) enrollment, only 20% of CCC senior leadership is Latine, with the specific percentage of Latinas remaining unknown (Community College League of California, 2024; EdSource, 2024; Gonzalez, 2023). This disparity reflects broader patterns, as Latinas nationwide hold less than 1% of senior administrative roles in higher education institutions (Eiden-Dillow & Best, 2022), underscoring the importance of examining this underrepresented group. This qualitative study examined how Latina leaders navigate and transform leadership spaces within the CCC system through their decision-making processes. Using testimonio methodology grounded in Critical Consciousness, Chicana Feminist Epistemology, and Pedagogies of the Home, this research explored eight Latina administrators’ testimonios of leading con ganas—with determination, effort, and heart (Beltramo, 2021). Data collection included individual testimonios and a communal plática for member checking and collaborative knowledge production. The first research question examined how intersecting sociocultural factors influence Latina leadership navigation, while the second research question explored how Latina leaders transform leadership spaces through strategic decision-making. The study’s primary contribution is the Cultural Values as Transformative Leadership framework, demonstrating how comunidad, honestidad, and respeto function as catalysts for institutional transformation. Key findings reveal that Latina leaders succeed by strategically integrating cultural knowledge into leadership practice, representing nepantla leadership that exists in liminal spaces (Anzaldúa, 1999). This research challenges deficit perspectives about leaders from historically excluded communities and demonstrates how cultural knowledge becomes institutional innovation, providing essential insights for creating more equitable educational environments.
Recommended Citation
Topete, Vianey, "Navigating Con Ganas: How Latina Leaders Transform Leadership Through Values Within the California Community College System" (2025). Social Justice in Educational Leadership EdD Dissertations. 20.
https://scholarcommons.scu.edu/ed_dissertations/20
