Monika Pamela Cantu Esparza

I attribute my success to persistence and my drive to change things that aren't made for many individuals like me. I have persistence in trying to modify systems that need to be changed so that people can have a voice. I think it's important that the people making decisions about certain actions have actually been in the shoes of those who are going through those experiences. That's why I push myself to be at the table, so I can have a voice and represent the community that is being affected. I want to make sure that the perspectives of people like me are included in the research and decisions that impact our lives.

The best career advice I've received, which has become my motto, is to speak up if you think there are things that don't add up or haven't been done. It's not because something is bad, it's just because it hasn't been done yet, so someone needs to do it. When I wonder why certain things aren't being researched, I realize it's because no one has ever done it, but that doesn't mean it's not important. You just have to find a way and put yourself out there, back it up with research, and find your space. Along with that, I've learned to work hard but also maintain care of yourself. It's about finding that balance between pushing forward and taking care of your own wellbeing.

I would tell young women entering this field that there's always a way forward, even during really hard times. I know things are difficult right now with everything going on, but I don't think the bad things will stay forever. We just have to stay within our community and persist, while taking care of ourselves a lot more than we may think is enough. Sometimes we think taking a walk is sufficient, but it might not be enough for that moment. Do everything you need to do, whether that's cutting social media, talking to someone if needed, or finding your community. Find the people who are going to see and care for you in case something happens. Beyond self-care, I would say just take it one day at a time. Sometimes we try to eat the whole world in just one hour or a day, and we cannot do that. But if we take it one day at a time, one thing at a time, it makes everything better. We need to remember that we only have 24 hours in a day, we eat, we sleep eight hours, so we have to be realistic about what we can accomplish and slow down to enjoy the ride.

The biggest challenge in my field right now is funding cuts. My PhD program was supposed to cover me for five years, but towards the end of my second year, they took away our money. That left me with tremendous uncertainty, anxiety, and lack of opportunities. I went from having financial security to, within two weeks in the middle of the month, trying to figure out how I was going to pay rent the next month. This has been a huge challenge, forcing me to constantly search for scholarships and grants that will cover my tuition while also finding a job. The declining funding across the field is creating real hardship for researchers like me who are trying to complete our work and contribute to important areas of study.

The values most important to me are having a good work-life balance and being honest with myself. If I'm putting in 12 hours of writing, I have to make sure I'm also taking care of myself by sleeping, eating, and doing what I need to do for my wellbeing. In my academic work, respect for one another is crucial, and that goes hand in hand with integrity. Empathy is something I think about all the time, because you don't know what each person is going through. You don't know how an email, message, tone, or whatever communication is going to affect another individual. That's a principle I apply whenever I'm doing research and in my daily life as well. These values of empathy, respect, integrity, and self-honesty guide both my professional work and personal interactions.