How did you cope with being a minority in a majority grad school program?

Sylvia J. Acosta, PhD

Assistant professor, Center for Development and Disability, University of New Mexico

"I come from a large Hispanic family in southern New Mexico and family had always been my strongest support system. I had always lived near both my paternal and maternal extended families until I moved to attend Colorado State University.

"I often felt alone in navigating the process of obtaining a graduate education because, at the time, I was the only family member who had pursued higher education and moved away.

"Throughout my graduate career, I was unable to return home frequently. The adjustment was challenging, but made easier by having a supportive graduate student cohort and minority faculty who understood my circumstances.

"Family support continued to be as important and I adjusted to the long-distance support. Being Hispanic, my family relationships are core to my identity. Being away from the core was challenging, yet the distance from the family allowed me to focus on my studies."

Hung Chiao, PhD

Assistant professor, department of psychology, Asia University, Taiwan

"Being a female international counseling psychology graduate student whose native language is not English and staying in the U.S. Midwest for five years was definitely not easy. Without the support from family members, friends and mentors, I could have been defeated by loneliness and perfectionism. My then-advisor, Dr. Puncky Heppner, is an amazing mentor who knows how to guide international students from struggles to success.

"I remember numerous weekend potlucks during which my international graduate friends spent the majority of time discussing how to survive and thrive in the program. Again and again, we shed tears and processed our feelings in those parties. Without that support, I could not have made it. My PhD degree isn't an individual achievement. It's a testimony of a group project."

lore m. dickey, PhD

Assistant professor in the department of psychology and behavioral science at Louisiana Tech University

"As a female-to-male transsexual, I was regularly reminded of how entrenched the field of psychology is in the gender binary. I took a class that I loved on gender. We were provided with two reading lists for additional reading. One list had books about women and the other about men. I asked if we could have a third list that addressed transgender people. This was met with great interest, but I was discouraged that I had to be the one to ask the question.

"The most disconcerting part of my training was the resistance that I encountered when I filled out forms as required by APA at the time. I had two choices: male or female. Neither fit for who I am, but I was told that these were the only options. Now, that has finally begun to change, though more still needs to be done."

Angela Kuemmel, PhD

Rehabilitation psychologist, Louis Stokes VA Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, and Public Interest representative for APA's Committee on Early Career Psychologists

"I have a spinal cord injury and use a wheelchair, thus my disability is very visible. In graduate school, I had to be a trailblazer as in many cases I was the first student with a physical disability many of my supervisors had trained. To get the accommodations I needed, I had to learn how to be resourceful and to advocate for myself. Sometimes that was a big challenge, especially if there were limited resources for accommodations, for example, at practicum sites. Plus, accommodations can take time — it's not just sending an email to your supervisor, you have to follow through with others, too. Overall, though, my experience was more positive than negative because I had many great mentors and supervisors. It's important to find open-minded people whom you can relate with to help support you through the experience."

Patricia L. Mestas Vigil, PhD

Director of University Partnerships and Student Success, Colorado State University

"I've had several painful experiences as a minority graduate student, including having my dissertation materials stolen. It caused me to feel marginalized, devalued, powerless and insecure.

"I was fortunate to find supportive mentors of color who were confident in their identity, within and outside of the department and who understood the issues of being a minority. These role models offered invaluable support and advice. They suggested ways to deal with difficult and hurtful situations. Knowing that they had succeeded offered me hope.

"Connecting with other minority graduate students who shared the same concerns was instrumental in building a supportive community and kept me from feeling alone.

"Also, being mindful that I was the first in my family to obtain a doctorate motivated me. Remembering that my passion and purpose of obtaining a doctorate degree was to make a positive impact was essential in bolstering my resilience to graduate."