Virginia Cabrera

Hola! I am an enthusiastic Higher Education professional currently working at Purdue University since 2016. My own identities play a huge role in who I am as a professional and scholar - I am a proud Latinx woman and first generation student who values diversity, inclusion, and equity in all of my work. As an undergraduate student I was drawn to student affairs through my own leadership roles in Orientation, Leadership offices, and Educational Abroad office - inspiring me to want to work with college-aged students.

I graduated with my B.A in Psychology and Spanish from Rutgers University and my M.A in Higher Education and Student Affairs from the University of Connecticut. I am a current PhD student in the College of Education, Curriculum Studies doctoral program at Purdue University. I've had the privilege of working in multiple student affairs functional areas such as LGBTQ+ Centers, Centralized Advising Units, Wellness and Prevention Services, and Student Activities.

A professional organization I call home is NODA (Association for Orientation, Transition, and Retention) in which I currently serve as the International Student Orientation Network Co-Chair. I've served as NODA Regional Conference Host and have presented at various NODA Conferences within the last 5 years.

My scholarly interests include intercultural competency development in college students, focusing on culturally responsive pedagogy and curriculum that enables intercultural competency development. Through this work, I consider myself skilled in communication, public speaking, assessment, facilitation, Spanish, leadership, and mentorship. I also have a demonstrated history of successful program coordination, intercultural development facilitation skills, and a strong ability to collaborate with others. My top 5 Strengths are Positivity, Includer, Maximizer, Developer, Consistency.

My teaching experiences include leadership seminars, first year experience courses, senior year experience courses, and intercultural development courses. My research experiences include conducting a 3-week assessment project in Australia on the effects of cost of living on international students decisions to study abroad, in addition to a 1-year assessment project measuring the effectiveness of short-term education abroad programs.

My hobbies include hiking, Zumba, travelling internationally, and spending a considerable time playing with my dog Zoey and watching my favorite television series!