Jacqueline Molina

Coordinator, Retention & Learning

Hometown

Chicago, Illinois

What attracted you to Arrupe College?

I was drawn to Arrupe College because of its disposition towards social justice inequalities in education and its dedication to closing some of those gaps. I am inspired by Arrupe and colleagues for their efforts in making higher education achievable for underserved students and going the extra mile to meet the holistic needs of our students.

Talk a little about the classes you teach.

At Arrupe, I teach ACUNI 101, the course that introduces students to college life. We work on community building, goal setting, and overall focus on empowering students to succeed academically.

How did you get involved in higher education?

Experiencing the need for more support towards underserved populations, led me to a calling in higher education. As a first-generation college graduate and descendent of Mexican immigrants, I was met with many difficulties when navigating the college process. Thankfully, college-readiness and college-access programs, such as TRIO and Posse Scholars, helped me along the way. My mentors in these programs helped me graduate high school, college, and enroll in a graduate program. These experiences shaped my path to empower underserved students with aims to improve student’s outcomes within higher education.

What’s your favorite part about teaching? And the biggest challenge?

My favorite part about teaching is developing student’s growth mindset. Seeing students go from “I can’t do it!” to “I can’t do it, yet!” is a true eye-opener to student’s potential with a little determination and patience. The biggest challenge is helping students re-learn that they are capable of learning and excelling at it.

Education

St. Olaf College (BA), University of Illinois Chicago (MEd)