The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Arizona State University is offering a new scholarship for first-generation graduate students in the natural sciences division.

The Dr. Manuel Barrera Jr. Memorial Scholarship honors the ASU professor, who dedicated decades to research and educating students in the Department of Psychology at The College. Manuel Barrera Jr. was a professor of clinical psychology at ASU from 1977 to 2017. Photo courtesy Barrera family Download Full Image

“Dr. Manuel Barrera Jr. was a professor of clinical psychology at ASU from August 1977 to May 2017. In his 40-year career with the Department of Psychology, his areas of interest and research were community psychology and social support networks. He received various honors and awards during his career, including ASU Graduate Mentor of the Year and Psychology Department Professor of the Year,” according to a statement from the Barrera family.

“He advocated for underrepresented communities in public education and their inclusion in institutions of higher learning. To honor his legacy, his wife, Aurelia, and his daughter, Lea, established this scholarship. In partnership with the ASU Foundation, the scholarship seeks to open doors, create opportunities and celebrate the abilities of everyone.”

The scholarship will support students registered with the Student Accessibility and Inclusive Learning Services office who demonstrate an interest in service to the community.

About Barrera Jr.

Barrera, a Racine, Wisconsin, native, developed a love for writing and science at an early age. 

He learned to incorporate his passions into scientific studies and research in psychology at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in psychology in 1971.

Barrera then attended the University of Oregon and received his master’s degree in 1975 and his doctorate in 1977. That same year, he was offered a job as a professor of clinical psychology at ASU.

As a professor, Barrera researched prevention and behavioral treatments for Type 2 diabetes, social support and behavioral health interventions for Latino families.

He also served in various roles with the Hispanic Research Center, the Office of Hispanic Research and other university-wide initiatives.

Barrera strived to expand diversity and inclusion in public education, stressing the importance of access to higher learning.

“(Manuel) was committed to providing higher education to everyone,” Aurelia Barrera said. “Especially those in public school, since both of us grew up in the public school system and he used that education and support to achieve everything he did academically.”

During his tenure, he was recognized for his contributions, including the ASU Psi Chi Outstanding Undergraduate Instructor Award, the ASU Outstanding Mentoring Award and the Psychology Department Faculty of the Year Award.

Barrera was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1987. However, he was determined not to be defined by his medical condition but by his contributions at ASU.

He retired in June 2017 and passed away in March 2020 at 70 years old.

“Dr. Manuel Barrera Jr. was a beloved, respected and admired member of the ASU community. We are proud to have the Dr. Manuel Barrera Jr. Memorial Scholarship to honor his legacy at ASU,” said Marisol Perez, the associate dean of graduate initiatives at The College. “This award contributes to creating a strong foundation for supporting graduate students’ educational aspirations and reduces financial burden, allowing students to focus more time and energy on their research and studies. As a recipient of a first-generation student scholarship, I can attest that the impact of this award on graduate students can be life-changing and perpetuated.”

Editor's note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable spring 2023 graduates.

Vanessa Aguiar knows firsthand what it means to represent family and be a catalyst for change. Vanessa Aguiar is graduating this spring with degrees in French, global studies, philosophy and political science. Photo by Andrea Chavez Download Full Image

Attending and completing college as a first-generation student poses significant challenges and is an enormous accomplishment for any student. But Aguiar went above and beyond, earning degrees in French, global studies, philosophy and political science.

Aguiar was born to immigrant farmworkers in the border town of San Luis, Arizona, south of Yuma. Learning the value of hard work through her parents’ dedication and the values they instilled in her, she wanted to be a beacon of hope for her family and many others.

When she began her first year at Arizona State University to pursue a global studies degree, she developed interests in political science and philosophy.

She turned to her academic advisor to see if it was feasible to add additional majors.

“My advisor was very supportive of adding the two majors,” she said. “Then, sophomore year, I took a French class and was strongly interested in adding that subject. That’s how I ended up with four majors.”

The learning didn’t stop there. Despite her sophomore year being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Aguiar took part in virtual internships with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to growing the next generation of Latino leaders.

Aguiar also spent most of her four years in several leadership and professional roles at the university, mainly as a financial aid representative, a policy analyst for ASU Knowledge Enterprise and a counselor in the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP).

But one of the most profound accomplishments on her long list of achievements was her time as a UCLA Law Fellow the summer before her junior year. Aiming to be a lawyer one day, Aguiar was one of two out-of-state fellows in the program. They welcomed her into the program and gave her an insight into law school.

Here, she speaks about her time at ASU.

Question: How did you manage a challenging course load?

Answer: It was tough. A lot was going on during the early years of college, with some personal issues and navigating the pandemic. I think I was trying to pile a lot on to forget about it and quickly figured out it wasn’t healthy. I needed to step back and focus only on what I loved to do.

Q: What does it mean for you to be a first-generation college student and represent your family in that way?

A: It might feel funny, but I’m part of ending a cycle. Knowing firsthand what it takes to accomplish and figure everything out on your own is a special thing. It is remarkable to be able to dedicate each one of my degrees to each member of my family because we are a family of four.

Q: What is something you learned while at ASU?

A: It’s not wrong to know yourself and your limits and when it is enough and that too much is too much. I learned not to be afraid to quit or pause things when life gets too crazy.

Q: Why did you decide to attend ASU?

A: It was the wisest decision financially, but when I visited the three state universities, ASU felt the most comforting, and my heart belonged there. But also the representation of diversity, sharing my stories with others like me and hearing advice from others to balance it out.

Q: What advice would you give an incoming first-year student?

A: Two things: Do not be afraid to know yourself and be your authentic self. Second, do not compare yourself to others. Whatever a person is doing is already enough.

Q: What are your plans after graduation?

A: I’m moving to Washington, D.C., to work with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute this summer. I will be a fellow with them for the first few months and work on Capitol Hill. I have the option to transfer to a federal agency.

Q: How do you think all these fields of study mesh together?

A: They have been merging this whole time. In my law school classes, I learned many laws were started in France; some of the most famous philosophers are French. At least, I think these studies opened my perspective to different ways of thinking.

Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

A: I want to be an intellectual property law attorney in the entertainment or fashion industry. One day I hope to merge them because I am interested in politics as well.

Editor’s note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable spring 2023 graduates.

Valeria Reyes, who has been an incredibly diligent and ambitious student during her journey at ASU, will graduate this May with degrees in French and justice studies, alongside certificates in disability studies, human rights and teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL).  Valeria Reyes Download Full Image

Reyes was born and raised in Mesa and as a child of immigrants from Mexico, she is bilingual in Spanish and English. Despite always having an interest in Hispanic culture, Reyes chose to pursue a degree in French and was later inspired to add a concurrent degree in justice studies after gaining an interest in the inequalities of education and learning about the judicial system. She ultimately wants to use her degrees to pursue a career in teaching.

“Being a first-generation Hispanic student has given me a unique perspective on the importance of education, and I think that there are many areas within education that still fail to support every student,” Reyes said. “This is why I want to help reform the education system in some way — reviewing policies, creating new curriculums, etc. — to help combat the inequalities present within the system.”

Reyes' interest in education reform is centered in her Barrett, The Honors College undergraduate thesis, "Implications of Intersectionality on the Education of Hispanic Females in Arizona." She attributes her exposure to the importance of intersectionality to her time at ASU and cites it as guiding her studies of culture and justice. She chose her area of study for her thesis, which won her a Quesada Scholarship, because she said is an under-researched topic. 

She was also awarded the High Impact Internship Award from ASU's English Department for her work with nonprofit Read Better Be Better, focused on improving literacy and fostering a love for reading in Arizona youths. She was also awarded the New American Scholar Award and Obama Scholarship.

Reyes expands more about her academic journey below.

Question: What was your “aha” moment when you realized you wanted to study the field you majored in?

Answer: I think for my French degree, my “aha” moment was actually in high school because I had a really great high-school French teacher, who showed us how great French was and taught us all about French culture. So, I knew from high school that I really wanted to pursue French in college. That was the first major I came in with at ASU. Then, with the justice studies major, I took an elective course about the judicial system and the courts, and from there that's where I got interested in all the justice studies topics because I realized there's a lot of issues that are going on in society. So, I wanted to learn more about different issues not just in courts, but for society as a whole. That's when I started pursuing that justice studies degree.

Q: What’s something you learned while at ASU — in the classroom or otherwise — that surprised you or changed your perspective?

A: Not really in the classroom, but I think just overall in my experience at ASU I learned you don't really have to have everything completely figured out. When I came in as a freshman I was like, “Oh, my God! I need to figure out everything and have all these plans and have A, B and C ready for after graduation.” Then, slowly as I started going through everything and my classes got harder I was like, “You know, it's okay if you don't have it all figured out.” A lot of people actually don’t, and even talking with professors made me realize that most of the time they don't even know what they're doing, either. We're all kind of figuring it out as we go. It's OK if you don't know exactly what you're gonna do or where you're gonna go after.

Q: Which professor taught you the most important lesson while at ASU?

A: I really had to think about this one because there have been a lot of great professors that I've got to learn from, but I think one of my top favorites was Professor (Frederic) Canovas in the School of International Letters and Cultures. He's one of the French professors, and he really taught me to appreciate French literature. The whole idea of French literature and what he teaches is the importance of balance in life. So, that's one of the greatest lessons I've learned from him is that too much of one thing or too little of another thing is never gonna be the best for you. You have to find some sort of balance between doing what you love, and doing something that makes you money, for example. So, I think Professor Canovas was, and his French literature classes were some of the best ones.

Q: What’s the best piece of advice you would give to students?

A: My best piece of advice is to keep trying, even when it's really, really hard. I know there were times where I was ready to give up because school seemed like it was going to last forever and like I was always going to have assignments. But it does end eventually. So, I would just say, keep trying. Even if it's just doing your best job that you can possibly do. Even if it's not the complete 100% perfect that it can be. Just as long as you're trying, and you're pushing through to the end.

Q: What was your favorite spot on campus, whether for studying, meeting friends or just thinking about life? 

A: My favorite spot for studying is Armstrong Hall. I actually work there, too, but I really like the basement because it's pretty quiet. I feel like not a lot of people know about the basement because it's kind of on the outskirts of campus, so it's usually pretty empty. And then for hanging out, it's probably the MU just because you can get food and you can play downstairs. 

Q: What are your plans after graduation?

A: I'm currently waiting to hear back from a French teaching program, the Teaching Assistant Program in France, to see if I got in. I’m impatiently waiting for the email to see if I got it or not because they're supposed to send it this month. So, then I would be going to the south of France and teach English there for a year. If not, I would find a job and then later on probably do grad school in either education or law. 

Q: If someone gave you $40 million to solve one problem on our planet, what would you tackle?

A: Because of what I've studied and the justice studies courses I've taken, I would say that I would tackle the inequalities within education. I would like to see an education system that helps students not only become good students by catering to the specific skills and talents of each student, but also good human beings. I feel like in the educational system students are often categorized into boxes, and if you don't fit into those boxes then you're not going to get the resources you need in that education. So yeah, I would tackle those inequalities in education and hopefully, that would lead to other changes as well.

The Arizona State University Faculty Women of Color Caucus, or FWOCC, recently presented two of its four annual awards to members of the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions for their efforts to advance inclusive excellence.

FWOCC President Jackie Martinez presented Chandra Crudup, Watts College associate dean for inclusive design and equity access (IDEA) and an associate professor in the School of Social Work, with the organization’s inaugural Outstanding Leadership Award. Watts College Associate Dean Chandra Crudup (left) and social work doctoral student Cynthia Mackey received two of four awards presented by the ASU Faculty Women of Color Caucus. Download Full Image

Martinez, faculty head of languages and cultures at the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts, bestowed the Outstanding Doctoral Student Award on Cynthia Mackey, who is pursuing a doctoral degree in social work and expects to graduate in May 2025.

Watts College Dean and President’s Professor Cynthia Lietz said the FWOCC’s recognition of Crudup and Mackey at the April ceremony honors their dedication to the work of fostering inclusion for all.

“Our IDEA Office, created and led by Dr. Chandra Crudup, is a model for embedding this work into all we do,” Lietz said. ”And Cynthia Mackey serves as an IDEA Scholar and is an emerging leader in this area. This recognition is well deserved!”

‘She does this work for a greater purpose’

Crudup was nominated for her award by Vanessa Fonseca-Chavez, an associate professor of English and a College of Integrative Sciences and Arts associate dean of diversity, equity and inclusion. She described Crudup as “a kind and thoughtful leader who takes a lot of pride in the work that she does, except that she does this work for a greater purpose, which is to advocate for those who do not have the same access to the institution as others.”

Watts College Associate Dean Chandra Crudup (far right) listens during a faculty, staff and alumni panel discussion of first-generation college students at the 2023 First Generation Student Dinner. Photo by Mark J. Scarp/ASU

Fonseca-Chavez pointed to Crudup’s leadership in creating a space for career-track faculty in FWOCC, making sure they were included in discussions within the organization, as an illustration of this trait.

“She led an effort to focus on how white supremacy affected our most vulnerable faculty in the classroom, and she ensured that their voices were included in the conversations,” Fonseca-Chavez wrote.

Fonseca-Chavez also wrote that Crudup’s post as associate dean made it “incredible to watch and hear about how she skillfully negotiated her role and ensured that there were opportunities to thrive extended to her and to the larger community at Watts.”

Crudup is also interim director of the ASU Studio for Creativity, Place and Equitable Communities.

Crudup said she accepted her award “in honor and acknowledgment of the many women of color leaders — past, present and future — who are pushing the needle every day, as they live, work and breathe within systems not designed for them.”

These leaders “are reimaging change in both formal and informal roles; collectively taking, carrying and passing the baton forward; creating inclusive spaces so that all might have the opportunity to thrive,” Crudup said. “Accepting a formal leadership role comes with great responsibility, and I take that responsibility seriously. I am grateful to work alongside a community in the Watts College and beyond that is committed to leading anti-racist and anti-oppressive practices not just in what we say, but in what we do.”

‘An enduring commitment’

Mackey was nominated for her award by Kelly Jackson, an associate professor of social work, who wrote that Mackey “demonstrates an enduring commitment and leadership efforts to reduce health disparities and improve health-care outcomes for Black and African American communities, especially Black women, here in the Valley.”

Social work doctoral student Cynthia Mackey (right) stops by a table at the 2023 Celebrating Black Brilliance event. Photo by Mark J. Scarp/ASU

Jackson noted that Mackey is one of the first doctoral students in social work to receive the prestigious Council on Social Work Education Minority Fellowship.

“She also has taken on multiple leadership roles within Watts College to help support racially marginalized students through her graduate assistantship within the (IDEA) office, including creating and chairing the annual Celebrating Black Brilliance event,” Jackson wrote. The event is held on the Downtown Phoenix campus.

In addition, Mackey is also former president of the graduate student group Inclusive and Multicultural Association of Social Work Scholars, “which uniquely creates a supportive space for both PhD students and faculty of color in the School of Social Work,” Jackson wrote.

Mackey said she was grateful for the acknowledgement of her work and credited members of her support community for contributing to her success. She dedicated the award to them.

“As a doctoral student, community is with me through mentorship from my fabulous chair and committee mentors and the relationships I have established in community, as I seek to advocate for more culturally responsive and reflexive research tailored to meet the mental health needs of Black women who have experienced incarceration,” Mackey said.

“As an instructor, my students and I create community as we co-develop our classroom and assignments to meet their learning needs and practice anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice in action. Community is always with us at the (IDEA) Office, where I am supported by a team of truly remarkable peers and mentors.”

A College of Integrative Sciences and Arts professor and a master’s student in The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences received the other two FWOCC awards:

• Alisia Tran, College of Integrative Sciences and Arts associate professor of counseling and counseling psychology, received the Outstanding Faculty Peer Mentor Award.
• Angelyn Soto of the School of Transborder Studies received the Outstanding Master’s Student Award.