What is Levers

This chapter will present personal levers, which are family and spirituality, and the professional levers, which include mentoring in relation to the academic funnel of gender and ethnic bias, as well why it is important comprehend the cultural impact unto the journey to leadership. Participants addressed each one of the levers in their journey in higher education. Only a few Latinas reach leadership positions in organizations in the United States, despite their increasing interest in obtaining advanced college degrees. This issue is especially glaring in higher education, as the United States becomes increasingly diverse through the infusion of new immigrants. A U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report from 2013 noted that 51.6% of women between the ages 25 and 29 were in a management, business, or financial operation occupation; and 8.7% of those women were Latinas. In the same way, only small numbers of Hispanic women reach senior leadership positions.