by Schools, Culture, and Society

Carla, a second-year SCS doctoral student, was awarded a 2015 Obermann Fellowship. The Obermann Fellowship provides its fellows with the space, stipend, and intellectual community to help fellows fully devote themselves to projects within an interdisciplinary community that unearth the past, explain and engage the present, and invent the future.

Carla became interested in the fellowship after SCS faculty member, Dr. Katrina Sanders, recommended she apply. In particular, it was the community engagement component of the fellowship that resonated with Carla and coincided with her own community engagement, in which she works to help the Latino community in its educational pursuits. For Carla, the fellowship is especially meaningful because as a Latina and first-generation college student, it will enhance her leadership skills to work in communities of need.

Hometown: Chillicothe, IL

SCS Entry: 2013

Personal Interests: I enjoy spending time with my husband and our three dogs, getting lunch/coffee with SCS classmates, traveling to Central America, seeing musical theatre, and anything to do with The Beatles, Paul McCartney, and John Lennon.

My academic Interests: I am interested in studying the history of the educational experiences of Midwestern Latinos in both K-12 and higher educational settings, the development and enrichment of Latino studies programs, and Latina women in education. My passion lies in contributing to the Latino community through active engagement and calling for improved educational access for all Latinos.