Francisco and Miguel’s research agenda is centered in educational leadership and community development. Their work is interdisciplinary and is situated within the intersectionalities of identity formation, race, class, gender, plática and story. In operationalizing this work, Guajardo and Guajardo employ an epistemological construct congruent with their research partners that challenges higher education to engage in research that privileges the lives of youth, elders, and the organic leaders from the community.