Erick Ramirez Manriquez is a first-generation Latinx Ph.D. student in the Department of Sociology at UC San Diego. Holding a Master of Arts in Sociology and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology-Social Inequality—both with high distinctions from UC San Diego—Erick’s academic pursuits and pedagogy are shaped by his critical self-reflection and action, centering on issues of race and ethnicity within educational institutions. As a scholar-practitioner, Erick has engaged with both two-year and four-year Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) throughout California, promoting the implementation of culturally sustaining programs and comprehensive institutional practices aimed at advancing student equity, particularly for Latinx transfer students.As a testament to his scholarly and practical contributions to the advancement of racial justice, Erick has been the recipient of multiple accolades and nominations, including the Ford Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellowship (Honorable Mention-2022), Oceanids Memorial Fellowship (2021), UC San Diego Student Housing Opportunity for Recruitment Enhancement (SHORE) Award (2020), UC Santa Cruz Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Transformative Service Award (2019), Equal Opportunity-Affirmative Action & Diversity Award (2017), and UC President’s Award for Outstanding Student Leadership (Nomination-2017).