The Way to College Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this powerful episode, author Dorotea Reyna shares her journey from a small South Texas pueblo to Stanford and UT Austin—and how language, identity, and memory shaped her path. We discuss the bittersweet experience of gaining academic success while feeling cultural loss, the power of storytelling, and what inspired her to write Los Cedros: A Tejana Memoir.

From resisting silence to honoring her community with words, Dorotea reminds us that our voices matter—and that sometimes, writing is the most powerful form of resistance.

📘 Get her book: Los Cedros: A Tejana Memoir

💬 Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.

🎧 New Episode Drop!

Carlos Cardenas is living proof that detours don’t define you — persistence does.

From serving his country to serving his community, Carlos opens up about his educational journey, his battles with self-doubt, and his drive to elevate Latino leadership.

If you’ve ever needed a reminder that your story isn’t over, this is it.

👉 Listen now!

#Persistence #VeteranVoices #LatinoExcellence #WayToCollegePodcast

In Part 2 of my conversation with John Espinoza, we dive into his journey as a writer, educator, and advocate for undocumented students. From teaching at the National Hispanic University to becoming a trusted "poetry coach" for Sandra Cisneros, John shares how creativity and community shaped his unconventional career. #TheWayToCollegePodcast #EducationMatters #JohnEspinoza #UndocumentedStudents #LifelongLearning #podcast #journey #sandracisneros #latinoliterature #writing #writingcoach

I'm back with a new episode of The Way to College Podcast. My guest this week is Margarita Longoria. She is a librarian and author. She was gracious enough to share a bit of her story with me and talked briefly about her most recent publication, Living Beyond Borders, a collection of short stories and poetry about growing up along the U.S.-Mexico border. Check it out! #frontera #college #highered #journey #borders #latina #latinx

This week, I'm introducing a new segment to the podcast that I'm calling, Office Hours with Dr. Jay. My guests often have so much to share, so in these special episodes, we'll go deeper into the work my guests do. My first episode is with Dr. Luis-Genaro Garcia. He was recently featured on the podcast, but as we were concluding our interview we wanted to continue our conversation and talk more about his artwork. Here's the episode. Enjoy! #art #officehours #passion #purpose #work #create #podcast #latinx

It's Monday and that means a new episode of The Way to College Podcast. This week is different from most. In this week's episode, three of my former guests, Dr. Elizabeth Villarreal, Macarena Hernandez, and Nancy Villarreal serve as the hosts and interview me. They wanted to hear my story and thought it best I share my journey with my listeners. Enjoy! #podcast #journey #edcouchelsa #stanford #phd #utrgv #utpa #college #highered #latino

It's Monday and that means a new episode of The Way to College Podcast. My guest this week is Dr. Gabriel Bermea. He is a Senior Research Analyst with Excelencia in Education. What is Excelencia in Education and what exactly does a senior research analyst do, I'm glad you asked. Check out this week's episode to find out and learn more about Dr. Bermea's educational and professional journey. #journey #excelencia #advising #latino #latinx #research #policy #education #highered #college

It's Monday and that means a fresh episode of The Way to College Podcast. This week, my guest is Selina Martinez. Selina is the Director of Product Management at Core Spaces. I know, you're probably wondering, what's product management, or maybe that's just me. Either way, check out this episode to learn about Selina's journey from Edcouch, Texas to Stanford University and what she's learned along her journey. She has some great advice. #podcast #edcouchelsa #productmanagement #productdesign #stanford #rgv #corespaces #family #college #highered #journey #lifelessons

This week, I'm joined by Dr. Mayra Olivares-Urueta. She is the Executive in Residence and Director of the Bill J. Priest Center for Community College Education at the University of North Texas. She has an amazing journey and though she has already accomplished so much, hearing her story again reminded me that she is really just getting started. Check it out! #journey #podcast #sanantonio #universityofoklahoma #northtexas #chicana #latina #tache #inspiration #language

This week, my guest on The Way to College Podcast is Christina Cavazos Escamilla. She is a principal with IDEA Public Schools, but Christina didn't always see herself becoming a principal. Like so many of my guests, her journey hasn't followed a straight line. Listen to the podcast to get Christina's story. #podcast #journey #college #highered #grinnellcollege #edcouchelsa #equity #ideapublicschools #principal