Cristal Flores, Ph.D. in Education candidate, has been awarded Chapman University’s Provost’s Dissertation Fellowship for the 2025-2026 academic year. This honor recognizes Flores’s commitment to advancing equity and social justice through her research on immigrant Latina motherhood and community resilience. 

A Journey Rooted in Advocacy and Representation 

Flores has long been involved in social justice work, from her Catholic ministry service to broader community initiatives. Her academic path in sociology, however, revealed a lack of representation in higher education; she recalls having only two Latina instructors throughout her studies. That absence inspired her to pursue research ‘with’ people, rather than ‘on’ them, centering humanity and dignity while contributing to meaningful social change. 

Now in her fifth year of Attallah College’s Ph.D. in Education program, with an emphasis in Cultural and Curricular Studies, Flores will graduate in spring 2026. She said the doctoral program has allowed her to grow as both a scholar and an advocate. “Pursuing a Ph.D. has allowed me to learn to center the humanity and dignity of people in my work while contributing to social change in meaningful ways,” she said. 

Centering Immigrant Latina Voices 

Flores’s dissertation investigates how immigrant Latina mothers, through their individual and communal practices, support their families and communities while navigating systemic adversity. Drawing from critical pedagogy and a critical narrative approach, her research highlights how Latina motherhood fosters resilience, unity, and hope. 

As a first-generation Latina scholar, Flores said the work is deeply personal. “This study is significant to me, as I was raised by my strong and beautiful Oaxacan mother and a community of Latina women whose dedication to faith, family, and service shaped my own commitment to contributing to our community,” she said. “Particularly in the spirit of acompañamiento [accompaniment] and the belief that ‘to whom much has been given, much will be required.’” 

Guided by Mentorship 

Flores’s dissertation chair and faculty advisor is Dr. Lilia D. Monzó. Flores said Monzó’s scholarship and mentorship were central to her decision to attend Chapman. “Her paper, A Mother’s Humiliation: School Organizational Violence toward Latina Mothers, was the first time I saw myself and girls like me with mothers like mine in scholarly literature as more than a statistic,” Flores said. “It inspired me to pursue similar and inspiring work for generations after me.” 

She credits Monzó with pushing her intellectual limits and supporting her development as a researcher. “She has challenged me to push my intellectual limits, validated my dreams, and encouraged me to believe in myself even when this journey felt overwhelming,” Flores said. 

For more information on Attallah College’s Ph.D. in Education program, visit our site.