by Hector H. Lopez

^{This column was originally published throughout the Americas by Al Día News on October 15, 2024, in both English & Spanish.}

There is a moment in the life of every system when it begins to break down, not from a sudden shock, but from slow erosion. Higher education, as we know it, is unraveling. What was once a bastion of opportunity has become a fortress of exclusivity, where wealth outweighs merit, and institutions that once promised upward mobility now serve a select few. It’s as if the very fabric of the system is fraying, thread by thread. And yet, amidst this unraveling, there is hope—the possibility of weaving something new, something lasting.

1. My Journey to the Crossroads of Education

I grew up in a place where opportunity wasn’t handed to you. El Paso, Texas—a border town straddling two worlds, where the weight...

by Hector H. Lopez

^{This column was originally published throughout the Americas by Al Día News on September 27, 2024, in both English & Spanish.}

Yesterday, marked the kickoff of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) 2024 Conference in Los Angeles, where the very future of higher education will be quietly debated in sterile conference rooms. Leaders in admissions, enrollment management, and high school counseling will converge, armed with spreadsheets and recruitment data, discussing strategies to survive in an industry facing one of its greatest existential crises.

But survival isn’t enough. We are long past the point where we can afford to treat higher education like a business clinging to outdated models, increasing prices while hoping new customers continue to line up at the gates. At a time when Georgetown University tuition...

by Hector H. Lopez

^{This column was originally published throughout the Americas by Al Día News on September 18, 2024, in both English & Spanish.}

Leadership, integrity, culture and community—these were the ideals that always guided me, my constant North Star. But over time, I’ve watched that North Star dim, just as I’ve seen those same values erode in broader society.

This past week, Kendrick Lamar dropped a new track. Many in pop culture will likely focus on his ongoing superficial feud with Drake, obsessed with the spectacle of the industry. But to fixate on that drama is to miss the deeper message. Much like the themes I’ve explored in my op-eds for Al Día, Kendrick’s track critiques a far more profound issue: the ideals of leadership, integrity, culture and community—once held in such high regard—have been...

by Hector H. Lopez

^{This column was originally published throughout the Americas by Al Día News on September 10, 2024, in both English & Spanish.}

Yet another school shooting. Last week, it was Apalachee High School in Georgia. The tragic pattern continues, and it took me back to when I first learned what a school shooting was as a freshman at Georgetown University on April 20, 1999—Columbine. Thirteen lives—12 students and 1 teacher—were senselessly cut down in what should have been a sanctuary of learning. I vividly remember walking into my dormitory lounge, where a crowd of stunned students gathered around the television, disbelief hanging in the air like smoke. We all wondered the same thing: how could this happen in a school—a place of growth, discovery, and community?

Fast forward 20 years, and I found myself at Georgetown once again,...

by Hector H. Lopez

^{This column was originally published throughout the Americas by Al Día News on August 19, 2024, in both English & Spanish.}

There are some lights in our lives that, once kindled, never truly extinguish. Even as they flicker and fade, their warmth lingers, their glow imprinted on the soul, lighting our way forward in the darkest of times. Michael Gaynor was such a light in my life—a mentor, a friend, a man who, with his quiet strength and boundless wisdom, shaped not just my career, but the very contours of my existence.

To speak of Michael is to speak of stories—stories spun with a masterful blend of suspense, humility, and humor. He was a weaver of connections, each thread a life he touched, each knot a bond he forged. I remember the first time we met, a luncheon at well known eatery in Villanova, Pennsylvania. There, surrounded by...