Omar Ismael Alvarado (él/him)

Omar is a doctoral candidate in Race, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Education at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His work broadly focuses on retention efforts and the college-to-career transition of Students of Color from underserved communities. His research hopes to highlight the positive impact of Central American Studies on the ability of U.S. Central American students to mitigate the racial and ethnic-based microaggressions they experience in educational institutions. As a son of the Central American diaspora, he hopes to honor the stories and legacies of his colleagues and their families, which are entrusted to him. His research brings together Critical Race Theory, Black Latinidad, Critical Latinx Indigeneities, and a Comparative Analytic Framework to highlight the heterogeneous nature of the Central American diaspora. He earned his Master of Education in Student Affairs and his Bachelor of Arts in Chicana/o and Central American Studies, with a minor in History, focusing on Mesoamerica, from UCLA. His journey through higher education is a meaning-making project as much as an academic endeavor.