Thrive Scholars: Liz Lopez

Elizabeth (Liz) Lopez, pronouns are she/they, is one of CGU’s first year PhD students excited to kickstart her journey. She is currently enrolled in the P.h.D in Education with a concentration in Higher Education and Student Affairs. Liz is a member of THRIVE and was a keynote student speaker at our Discover U Mixer: Kaleidoscope of Color. Here she is sharing a little more in depth about her experiences with the CGU community in hope that other students feel less alone in their journey.

Why did you decide to choose CGU?

Liz spent much of her time researching various institutions to make sure she made the right choice starting her doctoral journey. She studied the Claremont Colleges consortium model prior to applying and was very drawn to the cross disciplinary approach available at CGU.

“I chose CGU because I like how it is very academic focused and I wanted a smaller intimate setting where I can talk to my classmates and get to know my faculty.CGU also aligned with the goals of my academic goals. My research takes a transdisciplinary approach and focus on disability, race, and gender, so I am looking forward to take courses at the other Claremont Colleges to help support my research”

 Liz is also very family oriented and is a proud Aunt to her nieces and nephews and staying close to home was important for her.

What are you looking forward to most in your Ph.D. journey?

Liz began her higher education journey at UC Davis majoring in Chicano/Chicana Latino/a studies and earned a minor in Education. She earned her Master’s degree at the University of San Francisco in organizational leadership focusing on higher education and student affairs. As she begins her doctoral journey at CGU she is looking forward to all academic and professional growth she is going to learn.

“I have experience in the K-12 setting supporting students with disabilities and within higher education cultural centers and I wanted to continue to make connections  along the  educational pipeline. I am also looking forward to finding a community that is excited and curious about how to make higher education more accessible and equitable for students who come from….historically marginalized communities.  Being a part of those dialogues is important for me. I also look forward to meeting new people and  mentors.”

 Liz values the network she has created and fosters community with any students or staff she meets. She shares here a few tips to building community in graduate school:

“To feel acclimated in new spaces I like to visit a lot of places in the area and get to know the campus. I connected with a few students who were in the program and asked them about their experiences. I also made it a priority to find a job on campus because I value and appreciate being a resource for my peers and having a relationship with staff and faculty. I am currently a graduate assistant at the Office of Student Life, Diversity and Leadership so stop by and hang out any time! An opportunity I took advantage of was the THRIVE Scholars of Color program where I was given the space to share my background and experience to connect with other students of color”

 What are you most nervous about in your Ph.D. journey?

As Liz begins her first semester at CGU this Fall, she was a bit nervous, as I am sure we all were. Although, she found her footing through lots of networking, she shares with us some things she is nervous about:

“ I like to focus on finding resources that will allow me to pursue my academic and professional goals. I come from a low income community, South Central Los Angeles and finding financial means is very important for me. Unfortunately loans are a depressing reality and multiply that by gender, race, and sexuality it can be difficult to have stability when in a P.h.D program. Although, I have been awarded various scholarships that have allowed me to pursue my dream in achieving my doctorate degree. I received the California Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus Chair’s  scholarship, Point Foundation BIPOC Scholarship, and The Dru Project Scholarship.”

 Without a doubt, Liz has worked exceptionally hard in achieving her academic goals.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Additionally, Liz also makes time for herself when not working academically. She has set personal boundaries in order to prevent burnout from school and work.

“I practice meditation especially at times when I need to re-ground myself. School can be stressful and you can get caught up in it all, so I try to make sure I am grounded because I want people to experience me as a human and as a person.

Growing up in Mexican culture Liz  is also very family oriented and loves to spend time with her nieces and nephews and attend family gatherings. She also is a big foodie and is a horror movie enthusiast.

“I am the biggest foodie you will ever meet. I love finding the best tacos anywhere I go. I love authentic handmade tortillas because they remind me of my Abuelita Adela (grandma). I grew up with my grandma and she holds a special place in my heart. I  also love anything horror movie related especially subcategories like queer horror, trans horror, Black horror or any horror  that is a social critique”

 Liz is open to connecting and building community with her peers and faculty. If you would like to get in contact with her feel free to send her an email or stop by SLDL and chat!

• Email:elizabeth.lopez@cgu.edu
• LinkedIn: Liz Lopez