
Though the fastest-growing population of color in the United States, Latinos earn the lowest number of college degrees (Acevedo-Gil, 2019; Desmond & Turley, 2009; Luna & Martinez, 2013; Zurita, 2007). Given the rigor and demands of higher education, it is necessary to examine and discuss the experiences of this population and assess what support can be provided by postsecondary institutions. In examining the literature regarding Hispanic, Latino and South American students in higher education, several themes emerged: challenges in representation and isolation, experiences of stereotypes and discrimination, lack of social and familial support, and gender-role expectations (Gutierrez et al., 2022; Ramirez, 2017). Many of these issues were compounded as Latino students navigated undergraduate and graduate education, specifically for Latina students. The proposed panel seeks to highlight personal variables (e.g., culture, religion) and their interaction with explicit and implicit messaging that may be differentially impacting Hispanic and Latino students pursuing graduate degrees. Lastly, the panel will also propose tools to encourage self-evaluation through a discussion of Hays's (2016) Address Model to direct individual attention toward diversity factors.