Raquel Sosa, a doctoral student in COE’s Counseling Psychology program, was recently selected for the Graduate Student Fellowship Program of the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE). As a first-generation college student and daughter of Mexican immigrants, Sosa credits her family and mentors for her presence at Lehigh, “Without them, my journey would not have been the same” she said.
“I chose the Lehigh University College of Education because of the counseling psychology program’s strong social justice focus. I always knew I wanted to mentor other children of immigrants and provide bilingual services to the Latinx community. I saw the research being done in this program, specifically in the ALIVE lab (Lab for Advocacy, Liberation, Immigration, Vocational Psychology, and Education), as an avenue to do that.”
The AAHHE Fellowship Program provides strategies for Latina/o/x doctoral students in order to prepare them for successful careers in academia. The program also supports Latina/o/x scholars interested in pursuing careers within administration and policy in postsecondary education. In addition, the AAHHE provides constructive research feedback and looks to build community among these amazing scholars. Raquel Sosa was chosen based on a number of criteria, and as a new member of the prestigious Fellowship, she will receive the support mentioned above and represent Lehigh University at the national level.
Sosa currently works at the Jefferson Center City for Behavioral Health in Philadelphia, PA. The center is an outpatient community mental health clinic that provides dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) counseling to adults 18 and up who are Medicaid recipients. “The clients I have the opportunity to work with have so much resilience,” and added, “I truly enjoy working with folks from the community.” In the past, she has worked at the Community Voices Clinic in Bethlehem and Tower Health in Philadelphia.
In addition to her studies and work, Sosa enjoys trying new places to eat in the Lehigh Valley. “I’ve been in the area for about three years but there’s so many places I have not tried yet,” she added, “I recently tried a Colombian restaurant in North Bethlehem, and it was delicious.”
Dr. Germán A. Cadenas was awarded the Distinguished Professional Early Career Award at the 2022 National Latinx Psychological Association Convention. He joined the faculty at Lehigh University in 2018, after completing his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at Arizona State University, and his Doctoral Internship and Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of California Berkeley. His primary research interests are focused broadly on the psychology of undocumented immigrants, including their sociopolitical activism, educational outcomes, career development, and psychological wellbeing. This line also encompasses the development and validation of cultural competencies and social justice strategies for educators and mental health providers working with immigrant communities. On a second line of research, Dr. Cadenas investigates the utility of critical consciousness as a tool to promote educational equity and career development among communities facing social oppression.
Dr. Germán A. Cadenas identifies as a Latinx immigrant himself and is formerly undocumented. He has a background in policy advocacy and community organizing for immigrant rights, and regularly collaborates with local and national advocacy organizations. His opinion and personal story have been featured in popular media. He currently serves as Vice President for Diversity and Public Interest in the Society of Counseling Psychology (American Psychological Association, Division 17) and is also active in the National Latinx Psychological Association (NLPA). His work has received extramural funding and has been published in outlets such as Journal of Vocational Behavior, Journal of Latinx Psychology, The Counseling Psychologist, and Journal of Diversity in Higher Education.
The ALIVE Lab members (R to L: Sabrina Caroll, Raquel Sosa, Dr. Cadenas, Marsha Akoto, Beatriz Suro) presenting at the 2022 National Latinx Psychological Association Convention. Presentation title: Psychological Wellness and Inclusion of Latinx Students and Immigrants, Black Immigrants, and Other Minoritized Students.