(DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)A strong chorus of diverse voices make up DePaul’s Hispanic-Serving Institution Task Force. As they come together to reinforce the university’s commitment to become a
Hispanic-Serving Institution, one voice is especially clear, DePaul student Magoli Garcia.
As a task force member, Garcia is fueling DePaul’s journey to secure HSI federal designation. Why does Garcia, a senior political science major, take time out of her jam-packed schedule as a law clerk, student club co-founder and Lincoln Laureate award recipient to sit on this task force?
Magoli Garcia received the nomination from the Class of 2024 as DePaul’s honoree for the Abraham Lincoln Civic Engagement Award from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and will serve as a Student Laureate of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. (Courtesy of Magoli Garcia)
About 150 miles north of the U.S. border with Mexico, in San Antonio, Garcia was raised as the eldest daughter of three to her immigrant parents (her mother is from Bolivia; her father from México). In the city where Mexican culture and tradition flourishes is where she learned the value of education and community. Inspired by her mother, who immigrated to the U.S to pursue an education, Garcia witnessed firsthand how important it is to obtain an education.
“My mother would remind me that everything in this life can be stripped away from you except your education. Once you gain that knowledge and critical thinking, no one can ever take that away from you,” Garcia says.
What an HSI Designation Would Mean to DePaul
To become an HSI, a university must achieve an enrollment of least 25% Hispanic students in its undergraduate population. With the designation, DePaul would then have access to federal funds that will help all students by expanding and enhancing the academic offerings, program quality and institutional stability of DePaul. It would also support enrollment, retention and graduation rates — focus areas of
Designing DePaul — a collaborative effort that includes all university partners and communities working together to plan DePaul’s future.
“Becoming an HSI would be the first step in showing DePaul’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion,” Garcia says. “Over the past four years, I have seen and experienced how DePaul helps students be successful.”
Since her sophomore year, Garcia has been the student representative on the HSI task force.
“I want to advocate for people who are in the same shoes as my mother and myself,” Garcia says. "It’s important to make sure our Hispanic students have people who are advocating for them and their needs, especially when it comes to educational attainment.”
A Sense of Community, Here and Home
In December 2020, Garcia arrived in Chicago from Texas to begin her freshman year at DePaul. Braving a new city and a winter chill, and leaving her favorite local panaderia, she showed up with two suitcases at the door of an apartment with two roommates she had never met.
Garcia was determined to make the most of her education and experience at DePaul. She knew she wanted to take an active role as a student, in the community and for her career. One of the reasons she left her beloved San Antonio to come to DePaul was to study and bring back what she learned to her community in South Texas.
“I realized how much my community needed to be advocated for and decided that I could grow and learn the most if I left, and brought that knowledge and experience gained back to aid my community.”
Embracing Education
Garcia has made the most of her DePaul experience, while helping to foster opportunities for others. This year, she co-founded and serves as president of the Women of Color Pre-Law Association, or WOCA, a pre-law club for women and non-binary individuals of color who are undergraduate students and interested in law school.
After witnessing the disconnect between women and non-binary students of color aspiring to go to law school, she talked with other students who voiced the same concerns about the lack of community, not to mention the challenging and confusing application process. WOCA helps close that gap, providing a space to support one another and build a sense of community.
“My dad taught me the importance of creating and advocating for your community. If there’s no seats at the table for you, then build your own table with room for others,” Garcia says.
This winter, Garcia will launch a mentorship program, which will pair a current woman of color in Chicago who’s involved in the legal profession with a current DePaul undergraduate student.
For all her leadership, service, and excellence in curricular and extracurricular activities, Garcia received the nomination from the Class of 2024 as DePaul’s honoree for the Abraham Lincoln Civic Engagement Award from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and will serve as a
Student Laureate of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. She has plans to apply to law school next fall and ultimately wants to practice law advocating and representing for the Hispanic community.
“DePaul helped elevate me into the career I have today,” Garcia says. “Arriving at DePaul, I knew I’d only be here for a certain amount of time. I recognized the value of education and was determined to do it right. Education can set people apart and help us get to places we need to go. It’s important the DePaul community finds ways to look out for and protect its Hispanic students.”