Faces of NLU: Meet Stephanie Herrera
A CLAVE doctoral fellow in the National College of Education relies on National Louis University’s (NLU) robust support system for Latinx students.
At NLU, we’re dedicated to helping students of all backgrounds succeed, and we’re especially happy when students take advantage of extra support provided to them by the University. Stephanie Herrera is one such student. A self-identified “proud Latina,” Stephanie is currently enrolled in the CLAVE Doctoral Fellowship program at NLU. The goal of the CLAVE program is to develop a network of promising scholars of diverse ethnic/racial backgrounds, especially Latinx students. The program provides its students a suite of extra support throughout their time at NLU, which includes mentoring, financial assistance, professional development, and networking.
Stephanie explains how the CLAVE program has impacted her so far:
“CLAVE is not only financial support. It is holistic and tailored support that has made me feel like I matter and can reach my goals. Furthermore, it has provided me with a community, more like familia, that I know has my back and will celebrate me.”
Stephanie says that NLU’s support of Latinx students, specifically, is why she chose to pursue her doctorate at the University:
“I chose NLU for a couple of reasons. As a proud Latina, attending a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) was vital [...] I discovered NLU’s commitment to serving Latina/o/x students like me by implementing targeted support services like CLAVE. Thus, I began to feel like I could belong to the NLU community. Two, [I chose NLU] because of its robust higher education doctorate program that focuses on student-centered learning via an empathetic lens. The program emphasizes the ability to connect received knowledge to the workplace, which I’ve accomplished thus far.”
Given the support Stephanie has enjoyed so far at NLU, it’s no surprise that “welcoming” is the one word she would use to describe the University.
Stephanie describes her first year in the Higher Education Leadership doctoral program as a “joyful ride,” but that doesn’t mean her experience hasn’t come without challenges:
“This quarter has been a challenging one because of a number of contributing factors. Part of it is due to the knowledge gap I’ve encountered in my current course. This initially triggered my impostor syndrome. However, I reflected on how far I’ve come and reminded myself of my strengths. Therefore, I did my best on the first assignment, and I conquered it! It helped to be validated by my professor’s feedback.”
Having utilized her support system at NLU and achieved success in the classroom, Stephanie has her sights set on the future. She hopes one day to be recognized as a “worldwide inspiration who instill[s] love and positivity” and a scholar who “started the revolution through love and support.”
As far as words of wisdom she’d offer her fellow NLU students, Stephanie says,
“Always honor your feelings and give yourself grace! Identify mentors who will hype you up, and never give up, because you are exactly where you need to be!”
Interested in NLU’s graduate programs in education? You can browse all our degree programs online or contact an Enrollment Specialist, either online by calling (888) 658-8632 to discuss your professional and educational goals.
