Through My Latina Lens with Lori Salazar, EdD '24
Meet Lori Salazar, a student in the first cohort of the Doctor of Education in Social Justice Leadership program and a Super Bronco! Currently, Lori serves as the Associate Director for the Center for Student Involvement where she focuses heavily on building meaningful relationships with SCU’s campus partners. When she is not working, studying, or in class, you can find her spending quality time with her daughter and family.
After being inspired by an assignment in Dr. Pedro Nava’s class that focused on morals and ethics in Higher Education, Lori began releasing a podcast called, “Through My Latina Lens”. Lori started this journey in hopes of learning more about her family’s history and their personal backgrounds in education.
Through My Latina Lens initially was focused on higher education and the Latinx experience, and with the support of her brother, Chris Anthony, Lori has learned it’s really about fostering a safe space for people to express themselves.
“We have conversations about things we can see on the outside. But it’s our invisible powers and struggles that can often be overlooked or left out. These are equally a part of our identity and as a community, we need to adapt to be more inclusive and accepting of that. There are so many layers to diversity, inclusivity, and equity, and in order to build that communal understanding it’s necessary we share our stories without restraints,” says Lori. This shift has expanded the scope of topics and recentered her focus to common themes of race, discrimination, self-advocacy, empowerment, and self-love.
Throughout the podcast, you’ll hear from an ovarian cancer survivor and doctor, as well as Lori’s mother, brother, and grandmother. This is only the beginning and Lori has expressed her plans to include more Santa Clara alums, women, and people of color, as well as students from Bay Area schools. Lori shared, “The options are limitless! I feel so inspired to create a space where everyone can feel represented, respected, and connected to their community. I hope this podcast can work towards building more cultural and social awareness in our society through sharing these impactful and relatable stories.”