As a second-generation educator, my passion for teaching was cultivated when I moved to Florida and taught at a Title I high school. During my 10 years as a teacher, I witnessed an inequitable system that created barriers for marginalized students. It sparked my interest in the intersection of advanced academic programs and marginalized student access, LGBTQIA+ student voices and experiences, and culturally and linguistically sustaining practices. I hope that through my Ph.D. studies in the Teachers, Schools, and Society program I will be able to gain a better understanding of educational polices and practices that impact marginalized student groups, how to utilize teacher education programs to dismantle social and academic barriers for students, and how advanced academic programs and course access can support long-term educational success for marginalized groups.