Courtney L. Luedke, Ph.D.

While many scholars at various stages in their careers have joined the writing retreat over the years, the core Chingonas remain the same, demonstrating their long-term investment in one another and their willingness to create space for those interested and in need of support.

A large chunk of each day is spent in co-working spaces. Summers are a major writing season for scholars, as conference proposals are due, signaling the time to develop new manuscripts or revise works in progress. During the academic year, scholars are often consumed with teaching, collecting data, and mentoring students, so summer is a time to game-plan for the upcoming year, particularly for tenure-track professors aiming to secure tenure or go up for promotion. The #ChingonaSisterScholar group dedicates time to sharing tenure portfolio materials, discussing financial plans and the pressure of parenting, and enhancing financial literacy, thereby supporting each other in the various aspects of life that the academy does not tend to address.