ABSTRACT
This chapter, is drawn from an own journal, dialogues with colleagues, and publications about building a scholarly identity, addressing challenges that Latina faculty encounter, and how the institutional context of a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI)an institution defined as one where at least 25" of the undergraduate population is of Hispanic background influences the experiences. The chapter examines how the institutional and regional contexts which have navigated have shaped my own identity as Latina and as a scholar. It also explores how working in the institutional context of an HSI has shaped my development as a Latina scholar of access to and success in higher education, particularly for Latino students and faculty. These experiences have enriched my scholarship and professional development, and enabled me to navigate some of the barriers that academics who are women of color encounter.
