By Alicia Urioso Melchor
Trinity Times Correspondent
When Yessly Cabrera Reyes began college at Trinity Washington University last year, encountering a Latina professor gave her something she had been missing in the classroom: a connection to someone who shared aspects of her cultural background and could understand her experience as a young Latina college student.
Sophomore biochemistry major Cabrera Reyes said she has encountered only one Latina professor since starting college. A shared language and cultural experiences helped her feel more comfortable during her transition to university.
“She was the only professor I felt I could immediately connect with,” she said. “That connection made me feel supported.”
Latina students make up approximately 30% to 33% of Trinity’s student body, yet Latina representation among faculty remains limited. The gap between student enrollment and faculty diversity highlights a broader issue in higher education, raising questions about how representation shapes students’ sense of belonging, confidence and academic success.
Trinity is known for its diverse student population, particularly its large number of Hispanic and Latina students. However, students say that diversity is not always reflected among professors in their classrooms.
Cabrera Reyes said she felt like the “odd one out” in classrooms where few students shared her background, which led her to doubt her academic abilities. However, having a Latina professor helped restore her confidence and sense of belonging.
Faculty representation, she told Trinity Times, does more than provide comfort. She said it can increase students’ self-assurance and influence their long-term academic goals.
Second-year student Jaslyn Chavez Cruz shared a similar perspective on the importance of representation, saying that having more Latina professors would help her feel more understood and supported in academic spaces.
“It would make me feel like I belong more,” she said.
Chavez Cruz, a forensic science major, also described moments when she felt underestimated, which she said negatively impacted her confidence. She said having mentors with similar backgrounds can help students stay motivated and pursue their goals.
“Seeing Latina professors shows that people like me can succeed in those positions,” she said.
Anette Casiano Negroni, a Clare Booth Luce associate professor of chemistry at Trinity Washington University, said her path into academia began with undergraduate studies in Puerto Rico and continued in the United States, where she faced language barriers, cultural adjustment and gender imbalance in STEM fields. She added that Hispanic women often encounter discrimination in academic spaces, making advancement more difficult.
“There are many barriers that Hispanic women face in higher education,” she said.
Despite these challenges, Casiano Negroni emphasized the importance of representation for students, noting that many Hispanic students feel a stronger sense of belonging when they see a Latina professor in the classroom.
“It can boost their sense of belonging and shape their academic aspirations,” she said.
National data supports these experiences. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Hispanic women remain underrepresented among college and university faculty compared with their share of the student population. A report from the U.S. Department of Education also found that increasing faculty diversity can improve student outcomes, including engagement and retention.
For Cabrera Reyes, representation is not just about numbers but about connection and support.
“It’s about having someone who understands your experiences,” she said.
Students also emphasized that representation shapes how they view their own potential. As Trinity Washington University continues to serve a diverse student body, students and faculty say increasing representation among professors could help create a more inclusive academic environment. For many Latina students, seeing themselves reflected in faculty is not just meaningful — it is motivating.
“When you don’t see people like you in certain roles, it can feel out of reach,” Chavez Cruz said.