This week we caught up with Ryan Arellano, a third-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Education with interests in diversity and equity in higher education. Her advisor is Yukari Okamoto. She has laso received a BA in psychology at UCSB. Her research focuses on evaluating student services, high-impact practices, and persistence/retention efforts, especially with underrepresented minority college students.
GGSE: Tell us about the two years you spent working on educational and professional development resources between your undergraduate degree at UCSB and entering the Ph.D. program.
Arrellano: After I graduated, I worked full-time at a startup where I created learning modules for educators. These courses would include various topics like Google classroom, digital literacy, etc. Educators could take these courses and use them towards professional development goals. At the same time, I was also working part-time at Montecito Union Elementary School as an art assistant. I learned a lot about art supplies, how to create exhibitions for art, and often would make my own pieces. It was a really creative and fun job!
GGSE: Tell us about the Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) project you're working on now.
Arrellano: I am currently working on an HSI project that is a collaboration between the Chicano Studies Institute and the Division of Student Affairs’ initiative that focuses on assessing student services and ensuring that these services are meeting the needs of all UCSB students. I am paired with the director of OISS (Office of International Students and Scholars) and we are looking at the quality of services and how they are meeting the needs of international students at UCSB. It has been a great opportunity to network with directors of student affairs and to be able to bridge research and evaluation work towards a common goal.
GGSE: And along with all that, you're the lead coordinator of the McEnroe Clinic--what is your work like there?
Arrellano: Being the lead coordinator of the McEnroe Reading Clinic has been a major area of personal growth and development. I work with children from kindergarten to 8th grade and I am in close contact with their parents. This past year we've had a lot of new families come in for services, which is really exciting! I also work with graduate students and undergraduates who have dedicated their time to helping the children reach their literacy goals. Their commitment to the clinic is what keeps it running smoothly; all of our instructors have a passion for working with the children and it really shows. I also have a lot of support from the director, Dr. Arya, who has become a close mentor and I have learned so much from her. I am really grateful for all the support I have in this position at the clinic. Overall, it has been interesting in terms of scheduling, organizing, and mediating interpersonal issues (between children) but all of these moments have been instrumental in building the skills needed to work closely with a community. I have built a lot of relationships here and I can't wait to see how we grow in 2020!
GGSE: If you have any free time, how do you relax?
Arrellano: In my free time, I love trying new restaurants! It is one of my favorite things to do. I also love listening to psychological thrillers on audiobook and true-crime (serial killer) podcasts in order to relax.