Hello! I am a professor of Latin American history that focuses on issues of social and economic equality. Much of my work is inspired by my Jesuit education so one of my top priorities since joining the University of St. Thomas was to partner with Cristo Rey Jesuit High School-Twin Cities. I couldn’t have imagined a better opportunity than our YPAR project on first-generation college students and their families. As one of the faculty leaders I provided my experience as a researcher, but the student team offered invaluable lessons on perseverance, creativity, and collaboration. I am so excited that our team produced concrete recommendations for college access and success for first-generation students and their families. We learned as a team that research can create positive change both in academia and our communities.