Fatima Hernandez
McNair Scholar 2022
Fatima Hernandez is a sociology major in the College of Education and Social Sciences at West Texas A&M University. She is a senior anticipating graduation in Fall 2022. After attaining a bachelor’s degree, Fatima intends to pursue her interests further and refine her research skills while attending graduate school. She wants to help her community, so it is vital to her to give back to her community with her expertise.
“The best part of the McNair experience was the opportunity to understand key research concepts. I enjoyed working with my amazing mentor, Dr. Lisa Garza, and the McNair staff, Victoria and Kirbi, who all helped me improve as a person and researcher. Meeting my cohort was another amazing experience; it was great to be surrounded by individuals who shared an interest in research. We supported each other throughout the process, and it kept us strong throughout the summer." - Fatima Hernandez
"Parental Perception and Influence on their Latino Undocumented Children’s Educational Aspirations"
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Lisa Garza
This article evaluates parental influence and the impact that such influence has on undocumented students. The lack of scholarly literature within this area needs extensive research to better provide and understand the educational journey of undocumented students. To indicate the influence of parents on their children, the following were measured: encouragement, financial and emotional support, the value of education to parents and students, and the value of family. Financial and emotional support were presented on how parents helped with both topics. Students reported that their parents would help cover tuition, books, or necessary items such as food or gas. Independent students reported that they paid for tuition but did receive financial help from their parents. Emotional support was demonstrated by encouragement through conversations or advice. A gender difference was seen between male and female students. Female students received more emotional support than their male counterparts. Value in the family was an extremely important factor for students to seek secondary education. Students felt an expectation from their parents to complete at least their bachelor’s degree. Furthermore, parents expressed that their students needed to pursue post-secondary education so they can have a better life. Students value their family, thus making parents a strong influence on their educational success.