Celebrating the Graduating Class of 2023: Adan E. Sanchez

The University of San Diego would like to congratulate all of our wonderful students who are graduating this year. We will be spotlighting students from across campus, sharing their educational journeys leading up to graduation.

Adan E. Sanchez is graduating with a PhD in Education and Social Justice and wrote his dissertation on the educational experiences of being an undocumented student, inspired by his own journey as an undocumented student.

Sanchez is a first-generation college student and often felt the pressure, and fear of failure, of being the first in his family to pursue a degree. Early on in his educational journey, he had to rescind a college acceptance offer because he couldn’t afford it. At that moment, he questioned the benefit of pursuing a degree as an undocumented student – but he decided to keep going and is now receiving his PhD as a part of the first cohort of students earning a PhD in Education and Social Justice.

Adan hopes that he can inspire other undocumented students to pursue their dreams and provide insight to educators, from his research, on how to make the undocumented student experience better.