We return to our discussion of the book, "The HSI Movement: Strategies Driving Change at Hispanic Serving Institutions," with Yesenia Silva Estrada, Vice President of Planning and Chief of Staff at Colorado Mountain College (CMC). Yesenia shares her personal HSI journey, having been born in Chihuahua, Mexico, raised in one of the communities CMC serves, and having attended CMC herself as a first-generation student, to now serving in a role of influence as the campus transitioned to becoming an HSI. We discuss how HSI-mindedness at CMC has been driven by intersectional data analysis, a shared equity leadership model, and a commitment to measuring student thriving well beyond completion rates. We also discuss the VP’s role in the HSI movement, and how some days are challenging. We finish with a focus on Colorado's landmark House Bill 26-1006, which established the Colorado Thriving Institutions designation. As a leader in the HSI movement, she personally drafted the bill's language and worked with legislators and a broad coalition of partners to pass the legislation. The episode concludes with a strong message that HSI identity belongs to the institution and its communities, not to the federal government, and that institutions must continue to claim that identity regardless of what happens at the federal level.

Guest:

Yesenia Silva Estrada (she, her, ella)

Vice President of Planning and Chief of Staff

Colorado Mountain College

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ysilvastrada

Facebook: https://facebook.com/yesilvaestrada

APA Citation:

Garcia, G. A. (Host). (2026, October 4). From Student to Change Agent: Building an HSI from Within (No.803) [Audio podcast episode]. In ¿Qué pasa, HSIs?.

Show Notes:

• https://coloradomtn.edu/about-us/hispanic-serving-institution/
• https://coloradomtn.edu/news/cmc-news/colorado-mountain-college-helps-lead-passage-of-landmark-thriving-institutions-legislation/