Ángeles, Sacrificios, y Dios:

Moving from young adulthood to her experiences as a nontraditional student at Pace University, Rivera chronicles her path to independence in this poignant essay about determination, support, and sacrifice. Evoking powerful images, she introduces the people and forces that served to inspire, recharge, and steady her resolve to succeed in her second chance at college. The role of faith is clearly articulated in this story of a student whose identity as a mother serves to remind her why her persistence is so important.

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Marisa Rivera is a lecturer in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Iowa State University. Currently she serves as project coordinator for the Iowa Mathematics Science and Education Partnership (IMSEP), which focuses on recruiting math and science instructors. She has twelve years’ experience as a student affairs administrator and has held positions including Dean of Students, Associate Dean of Students, Director of Student Affairs Special Projects, and Assistant to the Vice President for Student Affairs. Additionally, she served as the national coordinator of the NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program, which encourages and supports undergraduate ethnic minority students and individuals with documented disability interested in pursuing careers in student affairs and higher education. She also served as a community columnist for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and has published poetry in several local magazines and publications.