The next generation of Hispanic scholars has a challenge ahead of them. In the nation's capital, the likelihood of a Hispanic student graduating from high school in four years decreased from 69.8% in 2021 to 68.4% in 2022. Compared to other ethnic and racial groups, Hispanics have historically had some of the lowest graduation rates, and trends like these extend beyond Washington, D.C.
In my hometown of Forsyth County, Georgia, Hispanic students have the lowest literacy rate and highest poverty rate. We also have the lowest high school graduation and college enrollment rates. Even those fortunate enough to attend college have the lowest rate of obtaining a bachelor's degree, and the lowest rate of securing a job afterward.
This subject hits close to home, not only because I am a Hispanic student hoping to achieve academic success but also because next year, my younger sister will enter middle school. She is an intelligent and gifted student who has been provided with many of the resources she needs to succeed. Unfortunately, one crucial resource is missing in schools across the country: Hispanic educators.
Currently, Hispanics make up 27% of students and 9% of teachers. The lack of Hispanic teachers is not simply a diversity gap. When students do not see themselves in their administrators and teachers, they feel like outliers, which, according to Dr. Jacqueline Rodriguez, “leads to lower graduation and higher dropout rates.”
Financial hardships at home, combined with a lack of representation in education, signal to students that academic success is not expected of them. This perpetuates a system where students struggle to envision themselves achieving more because they rarely, if ever, see people like them in positions of academic success. While economic support is essential, so is the opportunity for students to see themselves reflected in their educators.
Support in higher education, like in the form of the Cisneros Hispanic Leadership Institute, provides economic and mentorship resources. At GW, it was the first time I felt that success was expected of me. We need Hispanic educators, like my cousin Brandon Gomez, to pursue careers in all levels of education and understand the power they possess in doing so. For those of us not pursuing careers in teaching, we need to advocate for those who are, and remember that juntos somos más fuertes.
Damian Galvan is a Cisneros Scholar majoring in Political Science. Damian’s views are his own and not necessarily reflective of the Cisneros Institute.