Vanya Quiñones
CSU Monterey Bay President
What motivated you to keep pursuing new and higher roles when you didn’t see people like yourself in leadership positions?
When I began my doctoral program in neurobiology in the United States, coming from Puerto Rico where I grew up, I noticed that there weren't many people like me in the labs where I worked. There were moments when I considered changing directions. Yet, I always remembered the encouraging words of my mother and grandmother. They taught me that I belonged wherever I was and that I had the potential to succeed in whatever I pursued.
My early career focused on research, which I loved. Still, I moved into teaching and leadership roles because I wanted to help the next generation of students like me see that they also deserve a space in the lab, in the classroom and at universities. I wanted to be that voice for Latinx and other underrepresented students, telling them “si se puede"—that they can dream big and have a great impact on the world.
Public academic institutions continue to have the vital responsibility of providing diversification within education and the workforce, and they possess the unique role of shaping the future of our major cities. I have dedicated my entire career in academia to providing the best education and research training possible to diverse populations at urban universities, focusing on increasing diversity and implementing appropriate strategies catered to the individual and overall needs of marginalized students.
How do your unique Latinx heritage and your lived experiences shape your leadership style?
First, a lot of Latinx parents and families believe it is their responsibility to educate their children for life.
I grew up in Puerto Rico in the small town of Arecibo, a place that didn't have a library when I was a young child. But my grandmother had gone to college, and as the first person in my family to go to a university—and at a time when women didn't usually get higher education degrees—she set a path for our family's future.
My grandmother and my mother always said, “Lo único que te puedo dar para un futuro independiente es tu educación: The only path to an independent future is through education."
My grandmother passed on the importance of education to my mother and uncles, which in turn led my mother to teach me that earning a degree opens doors. As a result, all of her grandchildren have earned university degrees, and her great-grandchildren are either completing their secondary education or pursuing bachelor's degrees. This trajectory showcases how one person's dream has uplifted successive generations to better lives. That is the power of education!
As a Latina, I deeply value community and family, recognizing how these connections can foster resilience and enhance well-being. Support from family, friends and a close-knit neighborhood not only enhances mental and physical health but also propels me forward in my career. My family instilled in me the value of mutual support, a principle I bring into my professional life.
A collaborative and community approach to working together for the benefit of our students is a cornerstone of my leadership style. I strive to ensure that my leadership team and the entire campus community work together to maximize our students' success.
How do you use your leadership platform to inspire and empower students, faculty and staff to dream big and pursue their goals? What inspires you to do this important work day in and day out?
One of my primary leadership goals is to create opportunities that make the dreams of our students—and their mothers and grandmothers—attainable. I strive to empower my university to identify and address obstacles in students' paths, helping to smooth their journey to success.
I am committed to making the success I've achieved—thanks to my family's support—accessible to others, including students, faculty and staff. It is important to me that my accomplishments as a scientist, faculty member, mother and now president are attainable goals for others.
I also value the achievements of others as a source of inspiration for myself. Last year, at our commencement ceremony, I talked with a mother and son who graduated from Cal State Monterey Bay in the spring semester. She had just completed a master's program, and he finished a bachelor's degree. For each first-generation college student who completes a degree from Cal State Monterey Bay or another CSU, I know there will be more students from their families and their communities who will see their accomplishments and achievements, and they will be inspired to seek a college degree.