Meet Alma Olaguez: First Generation Psychology Professor
“One thing I wish first generation college student knew about pursuing graduate school is that we have something a lot of other students may not- we are resilient.
We are often the last ones standing because we have seen it all- we work hard and keep moving forward despite the challenges. Being first gen is a strength…”
Read more below on Dr. Olaguez insights about her experience as a first generation professional in Psychology.
Hi Alma, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
One thing that I wish first generation college students knew about pursuing graduate school is that we have something a lot of other students may not – we are resilient. Because we are figuring things out ourselves, we consistently face barriers that make our pursuit more difficult than folks who came from a family of professionals or who are more educated. This is extremely discouraging when we are fighting an uphill battle to work twice as hard but only get half as far. What resilience has taught me is that over time, our efforts pay us back ten-fold. When new challenges arise, we already have a skill set to push through and adapt to continue and keep pursuing our goals. This is when we can begin to differentiate between folks who have consistently faced obstacles and folks who have not. We are often the last ones standing because we have seen it all – we work hard and keep moving forward despite the challenges. Being first gen is a strength because it forces us to learn to navigate new environments and it is extremely rewarding to see how my resiliency has helped me achieve my career goal of being a Tenure-Track Professor at Cal State LA.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Earning my Ph.D. is easily my greatest achievement and I recognize how significant this is given my background. My parents were raised in Mexico and pursuing an education beyond the 5th grade was a privilege they did not have. Although my parents are the hardest working people I know, we struggled financially and the public school system in South Central was anything but an enriching learning environment. In fact, shortly after graduating high school, I learned that the school struggled so much academically that it was shut down for 2 years in order to revamp its entire structure. I did not have the appropriate tools to pursue higher education but I persisted despite the set backs and challenges. I started my educational journey in community college, taking remedial math courses that were not earning any college credit. I started below baseline and quickly saw how behind I was my peers. It took me about 2 years to adjust, to learn how to study and prepare for exams. My reading and writing was always my lifeline and I am thankful that I have an innate desire to learn. I fell in love with the challenge of tackling a new class every semester.
I was ambitious and motivated to achieve financial stability in my future. My parents worked physically demanding jobs but made cents over minimum wage. Contributing to our household income at 16 instilled a work ethic in me that I transferred to the classroom. I am not gifted or lucky, I worked extremely hard to reach this pinnacle. I learned many valuable lessons along the way that I share with students. I love to help students who are on their own journey – it makes my struggles that much more worth it.
This is why I launched the Psychology Resource Center – to help the next generation of scholars achieve their academic dreams. I want to help students connect with each other to realize they are not alone just because they are first gen- there is a community of folks that want to help and provide guidance and mentorship!
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love that LA is so vast and despite growing up here – I love to find new neighborhoods that have their own vibe. I would take them to the various pockets to experience the city in different ways. One of the most important is food! I personally love a greasy Burger with Chilli Cheese Fries from Tams in Paramount, Chilli Cheese Pastrami fries from Langers, and a Prime Rib Dip from Nicks in Pasadena. For the night time, I would visit a lounge bar for a great cocktail or ambiance experience such as Mirate in Loz Feliz or the Wine Cellar in Pasadena. During the day, I would take them bike riding along the beach or a hike with views of the ocean.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I credit my success to pipeline programs that support underrepresented students who are pursuing a career in academia. These programs helped me connect with a community of students with a similar background, while providing me with valuable guidance on the next step of my academic journey. I specifically would like to shout out the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship at the University of California, Irvine – who helped propel me into a career in research. The Minority Opportunities in REsearch (MORE) Programs at Cal State LA was extremely important because it finally allowed me to become a full time student and thrive as a researcher. This program fully funded my masters degree at Cal State LA with tuition coverage and a living stipend. While I was in my doctorate program at UCI, I participated in programs like The Diverse Educational Community and Doctoral Experience (DECADE) program and became more involved as a graduate student mentor in the SURF program. As I progressed in my academic career, I have been extremely grateful for programs that are structured to increase the recruitment and retention for underrepresented faculty. I was invited to participate in the CSU-PRE-Professor Program at Cal State Long Beach, which introduced me to faculty mentors that I provided me with guidance and feedback that I highly value (Dr. Art Zavala and Dr. Yada Treesukosol). Most recently, Dr. Zavala shared the CSU Alliance for Diversity and Strengths of STEM Faculty, which has provided me with resources to help me navigate the retention-tenure-promotion process. Recently, it has become harder to retain faculty members who are underrepresented because of the structural demands of academia and currently about 3% of full time faculty are Latinas. This fuels my motivation to not only serve as a role model and mentor to younger scholars but solidifies my desire to establish resources like the Psychology Resource Center (PRC) at Cal State LA to increase accessibility.
I thank my doctoral advisor – Dr. Zoe Klemfuss, who never doubted my abilities to succeed and increased my confidence as a scholar and mentor.
Citation
Olaguez, A. (2025, February 10). Meet Alma Olaguez | Assistant professor of psychology & director of the psychology resource center. SHOUTOUT LA. https://shoutoutla.com/meet-alma-olaguez-assistant-professor-of-psychology-director-of-the-psychology-resource-center