Luis Godinez
M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and Policy, University of Texas at Austin, expected 2027
B.A. in Political Science, University of California, Los Angeles, 2022
B.A. in Public Affairs, University of California, Los Angeles, 2022
Email: lg36555@my.utexas.edu
B.A. in Political Science, University of California, Los Angeles, 2022
B.A. in Public Affairs, University of California, Los Angeles, 2022
Email: lg36555@my.utexas.edu
Luis (he/him) was raised in Los Angeles, CA, as well as the San Diego-Tijuana borderlands. He is a first-generation master's student in Educational Leadership and Policy, specializing in the Educational Policy and Planning program. He is interested in how chronic absenteeism among K-12 transborder students is shaped by interconnected sociopolitical, institutional, and ecological factors across the U.S.-Mexico border. His interests are deeply informed by his experiential knowledge of navigating geopolitical and cultural borders as a transborder student himself.
Luis completed his undergraduate studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he obtained a dual degree in the fields of Political Science and Public Affairs. During his time at UCLA, Luis participated in the McNair Research Scholars program, where he researched the multivariate forms of oppression transborder students endure in institutions of higher education, how this affects their academic trajectory, as well as how they form their identities in the context of their schooling experience and interactions in larger society.
Currently, Luis continues to develop his research, policy, leadership, and advocacy experience through several roles at the University of Texas at Austin and within the broader education policy community. He serves as a Graduate Assistant with the Sorority and Fraternity Life office, where he advises the Latino Panhellenic Council and supports student leadership and organizational development. He is also a Research Fellow with the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA), where he contributes to education-focused presentations, policy memos, policy briefs, and other research and advocacy projects. Additionally, Luis serves as a member of the Advocacy Core Team at Raise Your Hand Texas, contributing to efforts to advance equitable public education policy in Texas. At UT Austin, he also serves as a Graduate Student Mentor for the McNair Scholars Program, supporting students as they navigate the research process and prepare for graduate education.
Luis completed his undergraduate studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he obtained a dual degree in the fields of Political Science and Public Affairs. During his time at UCLA, Luis participated in the McNair Research Scholars program, where he researched the multivariate forms of oppression transborder students endure in institutions of higher education, how this affects their academic trajectory, as well as how they form their identities in the context of their schooling experience and interactions in larger society.
Currently, Luis continues to develop his research, policy, leadership, and advocacy experience through several roles at the University of Texas at Austin and within the broader education policy community. He serves as a Graduate Assistant with the Sorority and Fraternity Life office, where he advises the Latino Panhellenic Council and supports student leadership and organizational development. He is also a Research Fellow with the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA), where he contributes to education-focused presentations, policy memos, policy briefs, and other research and advocacy projects. Additionally, Luis serves as a member of the Advocacy Core Team at Raise Your Hand Texas, contributing to efforts to advance equitable public education policy in Texas. At UT Austin, he also serves as a Graduate Student Mentor for the McNair Scholars Program, supporting students as they navigate the research process and prepare for graduate education.
