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Content Running head: CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR
Keywords: Latinx, Latinas, doctoral studies, first-generation, historically underrepresented,
virtual reality (VR), Casa (home)
1
Capstone Proposal Mi Casa VR ©
Maria Salcedo Bautista
Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work
University of Southern California
Committee Members:
Dr. Diana Lynn Iglesias, Dr. Ronald Manderscheid, and Dr. Michael Rank
Doctor of Social Work
May 2020
© 2020
Maria Salcedo Bautista
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 2

Table of Contents
DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................... 4
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................... 5
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ................................................................................................ 9
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM AND GRAND CHALLENGE .................................................................... 9
HISTORICAL CONTEXT .................................................................................................................. 9
LITERATURE, PRACTICE, INNOVATION, AND LINK TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT .................... 12
SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE ................................................................................................................ 13
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK WITH LOGIC MODEL AND THEORY OF CHANGE .............................. 14
PROBLEMS OF PRACTICE AND INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS ....................................... 15
PROPOSED INNOVATION ............................................................................................................. 15
INNOVATION EFFECTS ON THE GRAND CHALLENGE ................................................................... 16
VIEWS OF KEY STAKEHOLDERS .................................................................................................. 17
EVIDENCE AND CURRENT CONTEXT FOR PROPOSED INNOVATION ............................................. 18
COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT WITH OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR INNOVATION ........................... 19
HOW INNOVATION LINKS TO PROPOSED LOGIC MODEL AND THEORY OF CHANGE .................... 21
PROJECT STRUCTURE AND METHODOLOGY AND ACTION COMPONENTS ....... 22
DESCRIPTION OF CAPSTONE DELIVERABLE/PROTOTYPE ............................................................ 22
COMPARATIVE MARKET ANALYSIS ............................................................................................ 24
PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION METHODS ....................................................................................... 26
FINANCIAL PLANS AND STAGING ................................................................................................ 30
PROJECT IMPACT ASSESSMENT METHODS .................................................................................. 30
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PLAN ........................................................................................... 32
COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES AND PRODUCTS ......................................................................... 33
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS ........................................................................................................ 34
CONCLUSIONS, ACTIONS, AND IMPLICATIONS ............................................................ 35
SUMMARY OF PROJECT PLANS .................................................................................................... 35
CURRENT PRACTICE CONTEXT FOR PROJECT CONCLUSIONS ...................................................... 35
PROJECT IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE AND FURTHER ACTION .................................................. 36
PROJECT LIMITATIONS ................................................................................................................ 36
CAPSTONE PROTOTYPE DISTRIBUTION ....................................................................................... 37
CONCLUSION AND NEXT STEPS .................................................................................................. 37
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................ 39
APPENDIX A ............................................................................................................................... 52
APPENDIX B ............................................................................................................................... 52
APPENDIX C ............................................................................................................................... 53
APPENDIX D ............................................................................................................................... 54
APPENDIX E ............................................................................................................................... 58
CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 3

APPENDIX F ............................................................................................................................... 60

CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 4

Dedication
I dedicate this capstone project to my wonderful daughter Julia and amazing husband who
supported me tremendously throughout this project. To my parents Teresa and Fortino Salcedo
gracias por tus consejos y darme el ejemple de nunca rendirme. I dedicate my Doctor of Social
Work degree to my nieces and nephews; I pass the baton to you now. Finally, a special thank you
to my amazing support system of mentors, friends and familia. ¡Sí, se puede!

CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 5

Executive Summary
The proposed project focuses on the Grand Challenges of Social Work and Society
(GCSW), Advance Long and Productive Lives, and Harness Technology for Social Good. The
GCSW calls for an increase in productive engagement of older adults and the engagement with
existing technology for the advancement of social good (Morrow-Howell, Gonzales, James,
Matz-Costa, & Putnam, 2018; Cosner-Berzin & Coulton, 2018). The writer sees an opportunity
to connect the growing number of older adults with the rapid growth of the Latina population.
The proposed project will make advancement on the identified GCSW by creating a culturally
specific mentoring program for historically underrepresented Latinas in doctoral studies. The
proposed project is called Mi Casa VR©. Mi Casa VR is a virtual reality (VR) mentoring
program for historically underrepresented, Latinas in doctoral studies. The project will use a
multidisciplinary approach to advance long and productive lives by creating an opportunity for
older adults to engage in volunteer work and technology to reduce Latina attrition in U.S.
doctoral programs.
The purpose of the project is to raise success rates for historically underrepresented,
Latinas in doctoral studies. Establishing positive relationships with mentors have been found to
contribute significantly to doctoral student success and persistence (Young & Brooks, 2008;
Creighton et al., 2010; Davis, 2008; Gardner, 2008; Golde, 2005; Harden et al., 2009; Lovitts,
2001; Lunsford, 2012; Maton et al., 2011; Reddick, 2012). Connecting older adult mentors with
the Latina doctoral community will have the dual benefit of promoting health and increasing
retention and graduation rates of Latinas in doctoral studies (Douglas et al. 2016; Marrow et al.
2018).
CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 6

The problem the proposed project is addressing is that Latinas attain the lowest number
of doctoral degrees in the United States compared to White, African American, and Asian
American women. In 2018, only 85,000 Latina females attained a doctoral degree compared to
1,378,000 of White females (U.S. Census, 2019). Unfortunately, Latinas have the lowest number
of doctoral degrees compares to other underrepresented groups; Asian American women’s
doctoral attainment in 2018 was 273,000, and Black females attained 187,000 doctoral degrees.
Doctoral enrollment of Latinx students increased by 6.8% between Fall 2017 and Fall 2018; this
percentage includes both males and females (Okahana & Zhou, 2019). Despite recent progress
in front-end college enrollment, national data confirms that less than one percent, .4% to be
specific, Latinas attained a doctoral degree. The problem of disproportionately low education
attainment rates invites unwarranted problems in efforts toward developing a cadre of workforce
professionals in both public and private sector occupations. As demographics continue to shift, it
is projected that Latinas will account for one-third of the country’s female population. Both
higher education institutions and leadership positions will need to reflect local and national
demographics. Limited data are available on attrition rates by race/ethnicity. However, a recent
study by the Council of Graduate Schools found that only “40% of Hispanic/Latino students
completed Ph.D. programs in the combined fields of life sciences, engineering, and physical &
mathematical sciences in seven years” as compared to the national average of 56% (Sowell et al.,
2015).
The proposed innovation is a virtual reality (VR) casa (house) for Latina doctoral
students. Mi Casa VR will mentor, monitor, and guide Latinas to completion in doctoral studies
programs. Mentors will be known as Comadres (Godmothers). Critical components for this
mentoring organization are the mentors who can, on a socio-cultural level, relate with the
CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 7

scholars. Other elements of Mi Casa VR will include dissertation coach assistance, financial
literacy, postdoctoral career development, and, most importantly, the integration of experienced
professional volunteers.
Mi Casa VR will provide technological access to the historically underrepresented Latina
community. This access is necessary for the Latina community's quality of life in a world
increasingly reliant on technology. Cosner-Berzin and Coulton (2018) state that when
technological access and connectedness are provided to marginalized and vulnerable people and
used ethically, it may reduce inequalities and address some of the most challenging social
problems. Mi Casa VR will be future-proof and will disrupt traditional mentoring practices to
mentor Latina students through the medium of VR. At the same time, due to the scarcity of
Latinas with doctoral education, VR allows for a wider pool of mentors. More mentors will
result in a more significant potential for implication beyond the local context and scale-up
potential to be used anywhere in the world and at different educational levels as technology
becomes accessible.
Mi Casa VR will operate on a three-semester cycle starting in the Summer semester
through the Spring semester. Comadres and students will meet bi-weekly, and monthly
workshops will be available for students to attend. The Summer semesters students and
Comadres will attend a mandatory orientation to address program policies and responsibilities
and the opportunity to develop relationships with peers and Comadres. Mentoring sessions will
start during the fall semester and will have a specific focus on retention and academic success.
Goals will be identified, and both the student and their Comadre will determine responsibilities.
The spring semester will emphasize career exposure, focus on finalizing goals, and initiating
closure.
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Mi Casa VR will pilot on a free VR platform until funding is available to develop own
software for Mi Casa VR. The free platform allows the user to engage using a computer, oculus
quest, and a PlayStation, or any other VR platform. The VR experience begins by Comadres and
students 1) creating an account on the identified VR platform, 2) create their avatar to their
liking; to include appearance and personal style, 3) decorate their dorm to resemble their culture
with meaningful artifacts, 4) accept the invitation to participate in Mi Casa VR. The invitation
will allow them to enter the private house where majority of activities will take place.
The proposed project aims to disrupt the behavior that mentoring should only happen in
person. Increasing success rates of Latinas will create a new norm that Latinas belong in doctoral
studies. If Latina doctoral students receive mentoring opportunities and are supported, then they
are more likely to know how to navigate doctoral programs and experience increased motivation.
They will experience greater success and have an enhanced sense of belonging. Therefore, if
Latina doctoral students complete their studies, they will be more likely to volunteer and mentor
other doctoral students. Mentors will also experience increased involvement in meaningful work
and successful aging. Mentorship can benefit both the mentor and mentee: the older adult
mentors may experience improved health benefits from active participation while Latina doctoral
students are more likely to persevere and achieve doctoral success
In order to implement Mi Casa VR, the first step that must be taken is an increase in grant
submission to fund the first pilot program. Similarly, the creation of a website to publish
information about the mission on Mi Casa VR along with recruitment information for both
volunteer Comadres and students and solicit funding. The second phase will be a recruitment
campaign to recruit Comadres (see Appendix F for Comadres recruitment flyer) and form new
partnerships to aid the pilot program. Followed by marketing information to recruit students
CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 9

utilizing social media. Finally, the development of surveys to measure motivation and program
satisfaction. That will be used administers during each semester. The development of surveys is
essential to inform future practice and measure the success of Mi Casa VR. If Mi Casa VR is
successful, mentoring services will be extended to other educational levels and historically
underrepresented groups.
Conceptual Framework
Statement of Problem and Grand Challenge
Education is correlated to working conditions, type of employment, and higher-paying
jobs, thereby increasing quality of life. However, less than 10 percent of all scholars who enroll
in a doctoral program in the U.S. complete it (Cassuto, 2013). Women are 16% less likely to
complete their doctoral degree programs than men while racial/ethnic minority doctoral students
are 28% less likely to complete than other doctoral students (Stiles, 2003). This paper will focus
on Latinas and their experiences leading to attrition in doctoral studies.
The fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States is Latinx (U.S. Census, 2015), an
inclusive gender-neutral term for the replacement of Latinos. (Salinas & Lozano, 2017; Love-
Ramirez & Blay, 2017). The Latinx population is increasing in U.S. college enrollment
(Krogstad, 2016). However, stereotypical preconceptions hinder academic achievement:
“Latinas are not smart enough for a doctorate degree,” “In order for Latinas to be successful they
must imitate the dominant race,” and “Latinas do not value education.”
Historical Context
Disparities and institutional racism in education can be seen throughout history. The
educational history of Latinx in the United States and discriminatory practices that segregated
Mexican-American from White students in classrooms can be seen as early as 1911 (Gonzalez,
CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 10

1990). “The school divided students into classes according to economic function, that is, manual
training for Mexican children, academic preparation for the White” (Gonzalez, 1990, p. 46).
This history contributes to current day attrition for Latinx. Lovitts and Nelson (2000) found “the
fact that most departing students trickle out silently makes it especially easy for faculty to sustain
the illusion that they have no role in student attrition, that the ’best’ succeed and the ’worst’ fail.
Meanwhile, faculty and administrators are reinforced for holding the institutional culture
blameless” (p. 50).
Latinx students are learning to navigate institutions that were never created for their
success. Patterson (2016) asserts that although students possess the academic ability to complete
their studies, system issues lead to high attrition (Castelló, Pardo, Sala-burbaré, & Suñe-Soler,
2017). As such, microaggression, institutional racism, financial limitations, and the students’
doubts of actually belonging within the institution enhance a phenomenon known as imposter
syndrome (IS). In addition to IS, lack of mentoring, and socialization processes are among the
factors that prevent Latinas from completing their studies and contribute to their significant
underrepresentation among women who have earned doctoral degrees in the U.S. (Ramirez,
2014; Patterson, 2016; Mena, 2008; Roksa, Feldon, & Maher, 2018; Espino 2016; González,
2006). The proposed social innovation will address IS within a community of like-minded
scholars that can mentor Latina doctoral students and recognize the unique, Latina experiences.
Socialization, the process in which the student learns to adopt the values, skills, attitudes,
and norms of the academic profession (Ramirez, 2014), is a component for successful
completion of a doctoral program Latinas not only have to learn the educational system, but also
have to navigate their identities as mothers, students, and professionals (Rockinson-Szapkiw,
Spaulding, & Lunde, 2017). Despite increased enrollment of Latinx in higher education,
CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 11

institutional culture/policies do not adequately reflect the growth and culture of the Latinx
population. Field (2018) explains that despite more Latinx going to college, graduation rates still
remain low. This is a significant problem when Latinx are expected to represent 29 percent of the
population by 2060 (Colby & Ortman, 2015). These disparities are leaving many Latinx stuck in
low-and middle-wage jobs, which consequently creates significant problems for society, the
economy, and the United States as a whole.
Although Latinx, account for 18 percent of the nation’s population (Flores, 2017) they
hold less than one percent of doctoral degrees. The National Center for Education Statistics
(NCES) reported that the number of graduate degrees conferred to Latinx in the academic year
2015-2016 totaled 11,766 (NCES, 2017). With poor retention for Latinx, the pool of educated
workforce to fill high-skilled jobs left by baby boomers will cause Americans household income
to drop by five percent by 2060 (Field, 2018). Organizations will require international
collaboration, and high-skilled, bilingual and multicultural leaders to better meet the need of
their company (Wagner, 2008 p. 25). These demographic shifts put pressure on various areas of
society. Steve Murdock, head of Hobby Center and former U.S. Census Bureau director, stated,
“Our economy, our society, will be increasingly dependent on what happens to people who are
now minorities” (Marcus, 2016).
Educational attainment is a social determinant of productivity and health (Cohen &
Syme, 2013). According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “earnings increase, and
unemployment decreases as educational attainment rises” (Vilorio, 2016). Advance Long and
Productive Lives as defined by Morrow-Howell et al. (2018) in Grand Challenges for Social
Work and Society means reducing attrition rates of Latinas in doctoral studies for fuller
engagement in education. Cohen and Syme (2013) found that education is positively related to
CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 12

biological aging, neural development, health literacy and behaviors; along with empowerment
such as and life changes income and occupations. Low education attainment is a strong predictor
of premature adult mortality in the United States, especially for women (Krueger, Tran,
Hummer, & Chang, 2015; Montez, Hummer, Hayward, Woo, & Rogers, 2011).
Education is positively correlated with higher financial earnings (Castelló, Pardo, Sala-
burbaré, & Suñe-Soler, 2017). Educational achievement improves social and economic
standings and increases access to medical care, the fundamental roots for long and productive
life. Education serves as an intervention to overcome social class and economic inequities that
can turn into health inequities (Cohen & Syme, 2013).
Literature, Practice, Innovation, and Link to Environmental Context
In an effort to promote successful completion of doctoral programs among Latinas, the
proposed innovation is Mi Casa VR, a virtual reality mentoring organization that will mentor and
guide Latinas in doctoral studies to increase graduation rates. The vision of the organization is to
increase the number of Latinas in higher education roles as well as to increase the productivity of
older adults via volunteering.
A key component for this mentoring organization is having mentors who can relate with
and resemble the scholars. Other elements to the virtual reality casa are to include the assistance
of dissertation coaches and most important the integration of professional and well-experienced
adult volunteers. Volunteering is a crucial component of the organization because volunteering is
a dimension of productive aging, which is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) (2015) as an “approach that emphasizes the positive aspects of growing older
and how individuals can make important contributions to their own lives, their communities, and
organizations, and society as a whole.” Volunteering is also associated with better health and
CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 13

well-being for older adults. Woolston (2018) states that a university should provide the
environment for students to be successful and thrive, not to feel intimidated or put-down by
advisors or faculty.
Social Significance
Latina students are experiencing difficulties finding a sense of belonging within doctoral
studies (Ramirez, 2017). Attrition is feared by many students and may harm them personally,
professionally, and financially (Lovitts & Nelson, 2000; Miller & Bell 2016; Patterson, 2016).
“Students from traditionally underrepresented groups, like racial and ethnic minorities and
women, have an even more staggering attrition rate, reaching over 50 percent, according to some
estimates" (Cassidy-Hendrick, 2019). While there is an alarming rate of attrition in doctoral
programs, especially among underrepresented students, there are few studies focusing on
doctoral students and their experiences at a doctoral level (Berdanier, 2019; Ramirez, 2017) .
The mental, emotional, and physical health of doctoral students is a current topic of
concern among researchers (Cassidy-Hendrick, 2019; Ramirez, 2017; & Jordan 2017). Mousavi
et al. (2018) discussed a model that targets attrition and the mental health of the students.
There is a lack of support from institutions and unequal access to mentorship and
professional development (Patterson, 2016 & Ruarte, 2018). Valadez-Martinez (2016) explained
that “three out of 10 doctoral students will not finish their doctoral degrees within the seven-year
period.” Further, educational institutions may make assumptions about doctoral students: “As an
academic community, we’ve been assuming that graduate students are just fine because they are
smart” (Cassidy-Hendrick, 2019; Ruarte, 2018; Patterson, 2016). Lack of support from faculty
and committee members are among the environmental context that leads to Latina students
questioning their continuation. Jaschik (2014) found that “most Black and Latinx doctoral
CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 14

students in STEM fields are not earning their degrees within seven years, and many are leaving
their programs.”
Ultimately, “academia, in general, and society, in particular, does not do a good job of
mentoring graduate students of color” (Brunsma, Embrick, & Shin, 2016). The demand for
resources that are directly targeted toward minority doctoral students of color success are of
importance and socially significant (Miller & Bell 2016; Patterson, 2016).
Institutional racism is also a major contributing factor to high attrition within doctoral
studies (Brunsma, Embrick, & Shin, 2016; Gutierrez 2018; & Ramirez 2017). Often students that
come from disadvantaged backgrounds have insecurities that prevent Latinas from learning
about available opportunities (Cassuto, 2019). Ruarte (2017) implies that addressing equity
alone, can be “an excellent way to reduce Hispanic attrition”. Cassuto (2019) explains that
creating programs that allow students to build partnerships and connections can result in
increasing retention rates.
Conceptual Framework with Logic Model and Theory of Change
Theories about volunteering and mentoring will serve as the theoretical frameworks to
analyze the change in attrition theory. The framework included stresses the importance of
educational attainment as a social determinant to healthy productive lives.
Mentoring programs are increasingly prevalent among many private sector companies
like Google and Facebook, Twitter and other Fortune 500 companies (Conboy & Kelly, 2016) to
promote and increase retention and diversity. The aim of this social innovation is to increase
graduation rates of Latinas in doctoral studies through virtual reality mentoring. Mentors will be
professionals who have completed terminal degrees. Evidence shows a correlation between
mentorship and minority women's retention and promotions in an employment setting and within
CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 15

five years, 70 percent of those women had advanced within their professions (Conboy & Kelly,
2016; Johannessen, & Abdelrahman, 2016; Alvarez, & Lazzari, 2016).
Volunteer mentors of Latina doctoral students will experience a sense of purpose, which
in turn can improve health and quality of life (Johnson, Latham-Mintus, & Poey, 2018). Higher
education has shown to increase volunteering over time (Johnson, Latham-Mintus, & Poey,
2018). Therefore, if Latina doctoral students complete their studies, they will be more likely to
volunteer and mentor other doctoral students. Persistence and satisfaction in programs have a
strong correlation with peer networks and mentoring as they become familiar with norms of
doctoral education, faculty track, and other professional and leadership roles along with a
familial sense of belonging (Cassuto, 2019). Mentors provide time, experience, and knowledge
that increase potential for assets such as networking, navigating the doctoral program, accessing
funding, etc.
Relational Cultural Theory (RCT), a theory of human development that emphasizes the
perspective that individuals grow in relationship with one another (Suriel R.L., Martinez J. 2016;
Alvarez, & Lazzari, 2016) is examined to analyze mentoring practices. Mentoring can improve
the quality of professional development and reduce isolation. It can aid in building networks, and
help in the process of navigating difficult situations both academically and professionally
(Alvarez, & Lazzari, 2016). Brunsma, Embrick, and Shin, (2017) found a relationship between
appropriate mentoring and student’s success.
Problems of Practice and Innovative Solutions
Proposed Innovation
The proposed innovation is a virtual reality (VR) casa (house) serving as a platform for
mentoring and building a sense of community for Latina doctoral students. The mentors of the
CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 16

casa will be known as Comadres (godmothers). In addition to one on one mentoring, there will
be required structured group, educational and social activities. Each student will have the
opportunity to occupy and decorate a Mi Casa VR room with meaningful artifacts that provide
motivation as they navigate through their doctoral journey. Mi Casa VR will have an open floor
plan incorporating a conference room and a living room. The living room will be utilized for
structured activities including a required monthly Noche de Familia (family night) to discuss the
Latina doctoral students’ challenges and successes. Webinars about professional development,
financial literacy, and an open mic will take place in the living room, a segment of stories that
will be shared to shine light on the doctoral journey and experiences of Latina doctors. The
kitchen will be the Cafecito (Coffee) Connection, which will serve as the area for networking
and a job board posting. Weekly check-ins will be required of the students in order to increase
involvement within the program and reduce stress. Contact information will be shared in the
platform so that the student and mentor have a way to communicate via telephone, video
conference, and email in real-time.
Innovation Effects on the Grand Challenge
Increasing the level of participation and educational attainment of Latinas will produce
better physical and psychological outcomes for both mentors and doctoral students (Morrow-
Howell et al, 2018). Douglas, Georgiou, and Westbrook (2016) found that social participation is
an indicator of successful aging. Volunteering has shown to be an effective way to enhance the
participation of older adults as volunteering has had positive associations with mental and
physical health (Douglas et al, 2016). Mentorship can benefit both the mentor and mentee: the
older adult mentors may experience improved health benefits from the active participation while
CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 17

Latina doctoral students are more likely to persevere and achieve doctoral success (Douglas et al,
2016; Marrow et al, 2018).
Also, Mi Casa VR will combat social and economic inequities and disparities that
influence health (Farrer et al., 2015). Education and volunteering can help remove socio-
economic, access and environmental barriers that affect health and well-being (Spenser et al,
2018).
The proposed innovation will also contribute to social good through technology (Grand
Challenge # 8) by providing the Latina community access to technology to improve their quality
of life. In the same way technology has made social services to be available to people who
traditionally have been excluded because of geography, transportation, and scheduling barriers
(Cosner-Berzin and Coulton 2018, p. 162), Mi Casa VR will employ real-time technology that
will deliver mentoring, networking, and peer support to Latinas. Given that 57 percent (4.3
billion users) of the world’s population is now connected to the internet and 45 percent (3.5
billion people) of the world’s population use social media, the use of virtual reality will provide
access to Latinas anywhere around the world (We Are Social and Hootsuite, 2019). The
interdisciplinary collaboration with other disciplines like computer scientists, software engineers,
social workers, and faculty to implement the proposed innovation also support the goal of the
Grand Challenge, Harness Technology for Social Good and the way that services are delivered
(AASWSW, 2018).
Views of Key Stakeholders
Although research is limited, it suggests that the most common reasons for attrition in
doctoral studies for Latinas include feelings of not belonging, isolation, and lack of academic
support (Lovitts & Nelson, 2000; Cassuto, 2019).
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Many faculty members and institutions believe that doctoral attrition is not the
institutions’ problem, but rather the student’s own decision to leave because they were not
prepared for the level of work required in doctoral studies (Locke, & Boyle, 2016; Lovitts,
2016). Lovitts and Nelson (2000) explained that the most important factor in a student's decision
to continue or withdraw from a doctoral program is their relationship with the faculty adviser.
Students who complete their degree express higher satisfaction with their faculty advisers than
do students who leave the program (Locke, & Boyle, 2016; Lovitts and Nelson, 2000).
Relationships with faculty advisors play a role in the doctoral students’ decision to leave the
program and become ABD, all but dissertation.
Efforts to address underrepresented student attrition rates are minimal at this time
(Cassuto, 2013). The majority of the students that enter doctoral education develop distress,
usually seen as anxiety or depression (Patterson, 2016). Students have reported, “The illusion of
mental stability and confidence while interacting with faculty members, peers, or future
employers—regardless of any issues that may arise” (Patterson, 2016).
Evidence and Current Context for Proposed Innovation
The environment of the proposed project is clinical, economic, and politically ready.
Latinas have a history of experiencing both personal and professional barriers because they are
both female and women of color. Rooted in the societal norm that Latinas do not attend school
Latinas have been denied access to education (Lara, 2018). Latinas' initial disadvantages emerge
from their parent’s immigrant and socioeconomic status and lack of knowledge about the U. S
education system (Schhneider, Martines, Ownes, 2006). Latinas have continued to be
underrepresented in education and leadership and continue to earn less compared to White men,
men of color, and White women (Zahneis, 2018). On average, Latinas in the U.S. are paid 47%
CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 19

less than White men and 31% less than White women (Hegewisch, 2018). The pay gap widens
for Latinas with a college education (AAUW, 2018).
The developer of the innovation works in higher education making it feasible to recruit
volunteer mentors from colleges, universities and private industries. Using social media to recruit
both mentors and students is economically feasible given that there is no cost associated with
using social media and 45 percent of the world’s population are on social media (We Are Social,
2019). The majority of the personnel will be volunteers, therefore making it affordable. The only
initial cost for innovation is the purchase of VR headsets. The pilot program will include five
Latina doctoral students.. An advisory committee will be formed to help with program policies
and decisions that can affect Mi Casa VR.
The environmental approach to the proposed project is in an era where leaders need to
represent the rest of the population and understand cultural differences. Taking advantage of the
increased enrollment of Latinas, a unique opportunity is presented for this innovative solution to
be successful. For the reasons mentioned above, low educational attainment among Latinas is a
cause for national concern and provides a political perspective for the readiness of the project. If
efforts are not made to increase the education attainment of Latinas, all individuals will suffer
resulting in household income to drop by five percent by 2060 (Field, 2018). Therefore, the
proposed innovation fits with the environmental context and is ready to be implemented and
transform the doctoral experience of Latina doctoral students.
Comparative Assessment with Other Opportunities for Innovation
The proposed project is innovative because there are minimal mentoring and academic
supports for Latinas in doctoral studies that utilize virtual reality platform. The purpose of this
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project is to increase in retention and graduation rates of Latinas in doctoral studies. This project
is unique in form and method.
Two programs exist that aim to diversify the pool of professors and
leadership positions by combating attrition. One of the programs is The Ph.D. Project
whose mission is to
“increase the diversity of corporate America by increasing the diversity of business
school faculty. We attract African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and Native
Americans to business Ph.D. programs, and provide a network of peer support on their
journey to becoming professors. As faculty, they serve as role models attracting and
mentoring minority students while improving the preparation of all students for our
diverse workplace and society” (p. 2).
The other program as mentioned above is the Hispanic Serving Institutions Pathways to
the Professoriate. A program that has a substantial grant of “$5.1 million from the Andrew W.
Mellon Foundation will prepare 90 students from Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) for Ph.D.
programs over five years” (Penn GSE, 2019).
The strengths of these programs are that they both have a substantial funding. They both
seek to increase a larger pool of diverse faculty and leaders of tomorrow. The Ph.D. Project aims
to increase and diversify business faculty. The goal of Pathways to the Professoriate also aims to
increase the number of Latino professors working in the humanities at U.S. colleges and
universities (Penn GSE, 2019; The Ph.D. Project, 2018). However, Pathways to the Professoriate
does not assist current Latinx students as they progress through doctoral programs. The program
supports the student through the process of applying to graduate school. While their efforts are
significant in increasing the number of Latinx who apply to graduate school, they are missing the
CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 21

opportunity to confront attrition and support Latinx students who are already in a doctoral
program. This is seen as a weakness because if there were a greater focus on prevention and
retention, the pool of diverse faculty would be greater. The PhD project reports to have 90
percent doctoral completion and 97 percent academic retention of its business students and yet,
they have not reached out to support other disciplines to help aid attrition.
How innovation Links to Proposed Logic Model and Theory of Change
The mission of the virtual reality casa is increasing retention and graduation rates of
Latinas in doctoral programs by utilizing mentoring and fostering a sense of community support.
This innovation is particularly salient given recent increases in graduate enrollment for Latinas
(Okahana & Zhou, 2019) and continued growth of users connected to the internet (We Are
Social and Hootsuite, 2019). Mi Casa VR aligns with the proposed logic model and theory of
change (Appendix A) as presented earlier in the conceptual framework. If Latina doctoral
students receive mentoring opportunities and are supported, then they are more likely to know
how to navigate doctoral programs and experience an increased motivation. They will experience
greater success and have an enhanced sense of belonging. Mentors will become more actively
involved in reducing Latina attrition in doctoral studies. Mentors will also experience successful
aging including, improved mental and physical health and an increased involvement in the
community.
The necessary components of the project are volunteer mentors, Latina doctoral students,
funding, technology developers/programmers, partnerships with higher education institutions,
and training material for financial literacy education and mental health awareness and the
development of the VR platform. If the above components are in place, then the activities of
mentoring, workshops/webinars on financial literacy and career development, fundraising with
CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 22

increase grants submissions, and annual conference will be feasible. The pilot program will
include up to 10 Latina doctoral students and 10 mentors. Expected immediate outcomes of the
program are 1) at least 80 percent of students completing a first semester and first year of
doctoral studies, 2) decreased stress resulting from graduate studies, 3) productive and successful
aging as a result of volunteering. Intermediate outcomes include1) mentors and student’s
satisfaction with the program 2) increased knowledge about positive social norms in the Latina
community and 3) increased mental health awareness related to graduate stressors. Finally, long-
term outcomes include 1) increased graduation of Latina doctoral students, 2) increase in the
number of older adults who are involved in the community, and 3) the economic growth of
Latinas.
Project Structure and Methodology and Action Components
Description of Capstone Deliverable/Prototype
The capstone prototype consists of a pilot video overview of the technology, a capstone
project website, and a user guide of Mi Casa VR that has been completed to address the
identified problem (see appendix B for capstone prototype). The website is www.micasavr.com
and it is home to essential project campaigns, recruitment applications tools for both the
Comadres and students, and a donations page to sponsor Mi Casa VR. The website is also host to
an overview video that is used for a visual demonstration of Mi Casa VR and its ability to
connect people virtually. Finally, the user guide of Mi Casa VR is designed to provide an
overview of the program and as a reference for students and their Comadres. The guide
delineates the essential elements for the use of Mi Casa VR and provides interactive QR codes
that bring the guide to life by allowing the user to scan the QR with their smartphone as
illustrated in user guide.
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Program characteristics: Mi Casa VR will be a three-semester program that runs from
Summer semester through Spring semester. The writer will pitch program to doctoral awarding
universities to complete a pilot program. During the Summer semesters students and Comadres
will attend a mandatory orientation to address program details, policies, commitment, and
responsibilities. The Summer orientation will also allow for students and Comadres to meet one
another, share interest, and participate in activities for opportunity to develop relationships with
peers and Comadres. Students will then be matched with their Comadres prior to start of planned
activities such as, mentoring sessions and workshops.
Mentoring sessions will start during the fall semester and will have a specific focus on
retention and academic success. Goals will be identified, and responsibilities will be determined
by both the student and their Comadre. This means that students and Comadres will meet bi-
weekly inside Mi Casa VR which operates using the free VR application. The spring semester
will emphasize career exposure, focus on finalizing goals and initiating closure. Exposing Latina
students to an array of career opportunities is essential to the success of their career development
and of Mi Casa VR. This time students will also participate in financial literacy to stay informed
about paying off student debt and avoiding debt. Students will successfully complete the
program after full participation of three semesters described. Students will be awarded with a
stole that they can wear during their school commencement ceremony.
Mentoring and workshops will be delivered via virtual reality. Using an identified VR
platform. The VR platform allows the user to engage using a computer, oculus quest, and a
PlayStation. This medium that was selected to pilot Mi Casa VR is feasible given there are no
cost associated to create the program. The VR experience begins by Comadres and students 1)
creating an account in VR platform, 2) create their avatar to their liking; to include appearance
CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 24

and personal style, 3) decorate their dorm to resemble their culture with meaningful artifacts, 4)
accept invitation to Mi Casa VR.
Comparative Market Analysis
The proposed project is innovative because at the moment there are minimal mentoring
and supports for Latinas in doctoral studies that utilize virtual reality as their platform for service
delivery. Excelencia in Education has recognized 280 different programs that serve Latinx
students through evidence-based practices (Excelencia, 2018). However, little to none of the
programs are geared for Latina doctoral students. The Hispanic Serving Institute Pathways to the
Professoriate and Sofia Bautista Pertuz, creator of Latinas Completing Doctoral Degrees Blog
has a specific focus on Latinx in doctoral programs. There are other programs to support an
increase in the number of Latinx in STEM majors (Adam, 2007), but again no specific support
for Latinas in doctoral education. The writer did not identity doctoral mentoring programs
offered by public institutions like the University of California or California State University.
While cultural support groups can be found in universities, the focus continues to be strongly
geared toward undergraduate students.
The Hispanic Serving Institute (HSI) Pathways to the Professoriate helps undergraduate
Latinx students by mentoring them, serving in a summer research program, and help during the
graduate application process. The Hispanic Serving Institute Pathways to the Professoriate aims
to increase diversity in professions such as humanities at universities and U.S colleges. Pathways
to the Professoriate is funded by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (Martinez,
2018). This program plans to follow 90 Latinx undergraduate students throughout their
education journey and prepare them to attend doctoral programs and document their experiences
once in doctorate programs for five years (Martinez, 2018).
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HSI are colleges and universities whose enrollment is at least 25 % Latinx students. The
increase in enrollment of Latinx students comes with additional funding to help Latinx students
complete their degrees (Martinez, 2018). Pathways to the Professoriate resources include,
“faculty and graduate student mentorship, a focus on the graduate school application process,
opportunities to conduct and present research, funding for research and graduate school
applications and dedicated staff to support students within the program” (Martinez, 2018).
Dr. Sofia Bautista Pertuz created a blog in 2014 to share her experiences as she navigated
her doctoral education. Bautista Pertuz was seeking to find other Latinas who have completed
doctorate degrees and to her surprise results were limited. It was then when the Bautista Pertuz
decided to create her blog which later, led to the initiation of a social media group via Facebook
to allow for an opportunity for other Latinas to connect and share similar experiences. This
virtual support group creates awareness of the lack of support, mentors, and institutional racism
along with limited social networks available for Latina students on ground (Bessette, 2014).
Opportunity. Given the limited programs to mentor Latina doctoral students, Mi Casa
VR is well positioned in a competitive market. There is the opportunity to form potential partners
with identified programs to strengthen Mi Casa VR and reach outcomes. As an established
community of Latina doctoral students, the Facebook group can be used to recruit both students
and mentors. It can also be used as a focus group to pilot and test the program. Additionally,
since Pathways to the Professoriate has substantial funding and similar interest in preparing
Latinx students for teaching positions, a partnership can be created to recruit and support
multiple cohorts of Latina doctoral students in Mi Casa VR.
The current market within technology places Mi Casa VR in a competitive market as VR
is beginning to revolutionize the way that education is provided. VR is becoming accessible
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which will help to scale up Mi Casa and serve more Latinas. VR can also be used in any place
with access to Wi-Fi which strengthens the marketability of the program to reach students and
Comadres anywhere in the U.S. Castelvecchi (2016) reported that VR is becoming an attractive
research tool in labs given its affordability and user-friendly experience. This opportunity
validates the innovation of the program as VR is making its way into education and used for
training, but not yet for mentoring, making Mi Casa a viable option in the future.
The project also has the added strengths of virtual reality becoming more affordable to
the general population and disciplines like medicine and social work are starting to utilize
virtual reality (Futurity, 2018). Virtual reality is demonstrating success in any environment
Vaughn (2016) found that US2020 created a “virtual reality video project designed to capture all
360 degrees of mentoring experience with a goal to entice new mentors by providing them with a
better sense of what mentoring looks like”. Further advantages for utilizing virtual reality to
mentor students is that technology allows response at the exact moment that the need arises for
the student.
Project Implementation Methods
The proposed strategy to facilitate the implementation of Mi Casa VR is multifaceted.
Several clusters/strategies have been identified to help enhance the adoption, implementation,
sustainment, and scale-up of Mi Casa VR (Brownson et al. 2018). The Expert Recommendations
for Implementing Change (ERIC) and implementation model Availability, Responsiveness, and
Continuity (ARC) will be used to guide implementation. Since these models are result oriented.
It also aligns with the desired culture of Mi Casa VR, centered around building relationships and
participation from stakeholders and the target population strategies. (Pleasee see Gantt chart in
Appendix C). Implementation methods include developing resource sharing agreements by
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developing partnerships with organizations that have resources needed to implement the
innovation. Collaboration with other professionals like computer scientists, software engineers,
social workers, and faculty is a vital step in the implementation of the proposed innovation. Mi
Casa VR has already received help from TecnoLatinx to help implement Mi Casa VR. As social
learning theory describes, learning is a cognitive process that takes place in a social context
(Brown & Palinkas, 2019). With Partnerships comes the strategy to develop academic
partnerships. As described by Brownson et al. (2018), partnerships with universities will be an
important step in scaling Mi Casa VR.
The first phase of implementing a pilot program includes developing a website to be able
to share innovations mission and serve as a host to essential participant information (e.g
recruitment forms, media, donations), a focus group to understand further developmental needs,
and finally increased in grant submissions for seed money.
Mi Casa VR must start with the recruitment of Comadres and Latina doctoral students for
its pilot program. The goal will be to have ten volunteer Latina Comadres by the time students
are recruited. Given that there are 3.5 billion active social media users (We Are Social, 2019),
the recruitment process will include targeted advertising on social media like Facebook, Twitter,
and YouTube. Tabling during graduate fairs for the recruitment of students will allow for the
demonstration and presentation of VR.
The Comadres are professionals who hold a terminal degree in any discipline. The
recruitment of mentors for the pilot program will be using the researcher’s social capital. The
researcher will present at conferences such as The Puente Project’s Annual Student Motivational
Conference and during the annual Latinx Empowerment Conference at the University of
CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 28

Southern California (Appendix E). for the recruitment of Comadres and students. Mi Casa VR
brochures will also be mailed to doctoral awarding universities and posted to the website.
The next step includes student orientation, VR training, and matching students with their
Comadre. Mi Casa VR orientation will be an opportunity for all participants to know each other
and start building relationships. Upon matching students to their Comadre, the students will then
be required to meet virtually with their assigned Comadre once per week.
During the summer semester, the students will be documenting their doctoral journey.
This video will be captured and published on YouTube to then load directly in the Mi Casa VR.
At the same time, a contract with Snowball Wealth will be completed to allow the financial
literacy program to start during the second semester. The second semester will begin with Mi
Casa VR’s Annual Conference to welcome the students back to their studies. Upon completion
of the first year with Mi Casa VR students will be asked to document their experiences in
doctoral studies and VR mentoring. A final evaluation of the program will point to modifications
and improvements. Data will be collected and evaluated by the program director and reported to
the Advisory Board. This data will include mentor satisfaction with a direct focus on their health
and quality of life as volunteer mentors. This data will be valuable in measuring the impact of
volunteer and being a productive older adult.
Leadership. The Clifton strengths required to lead Mi Casa VR are Relator, the ability to
build the close relationships to connect with students (Rath & Conchie, 2008). Another is
communication skills with funders, recruits, and stakeholders. The Mi Casa VR must also create
a sense of adhocracy to manage change and be innovative in dealing with crucibles that can be
targeted towards the population that it serves. Being able to run effective meetings and
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communicate with stakeholders are important technical skills that are required to effectively
produce the desire outcomes (Tropman, 2019).
The staffing plan for the Mi Casa VR consists of a Program Director, IT-technician, an
accountant, and volunteer Comadres. The Program Director for the Mi Casa VR will first be the
founder of Mi Casa VR, and this position will then become available to a Doctor of Social Work
(DSW) that also has a background in technology. To contribute to the GC Harnessing
Technology for Social Good, Mi Casa VR must develop that position as an expert from the field
of technology and social work. The IT-technician will be recruited from nonprofit company
TecnoLatinx. The contracted accountant staff will preferably need to have an MBA, CPA, and
experience in the nonprofit sector. The mentors will be volunteer faculty, professionals with
doctoral credentials and/or terminal degrees. This is an essential credential to assist and mentor
students.
Obstacles. that can be faced during implementation are 1) students do not have time to
participate, 2) institutional racism, including microaggressions from advisors that will cause the
student to withdraw from studies, 3) the implementation of VR Casa is not possible without
access to funding, 4) lack of VR equipment. Funding will be needed to facilitate implementation
and diversifying funding is essential as to not depend on a single source of funding. Alternative
pathways to overcome barriers include 1) increase in marketing, 2) increase in grant
submissions, 3) increase in partnerships with universities to help with the funding the pilot. 4)
deviant of supportive virtual family and environment to find ways to mitigate negative
experiences, 5) broadcast workshops live to allow users without VR technology to have access to
information. Support from the Latina student community needs to be created within the
university community with student engagement centers. This support is essential in facilitating
CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 30

barriers identified to create alliances. The relationship with the Latina community and university
is paramount.
Financial Plans and Staging
The nonprofit sector has been identified as the best sector for Mi Casa VR because it allows
the organization to remain focused on meeting clients’ needs. Establishing a nonprofit will also
allow for the opportunity to apply for grants, fundraising money, and ultimately forming
contracts for additional revenue. Plus, as a 501(c) (3) Mi Casa VR will have the ability to apply
for a tax exemption so that any of the surplus made will not be taxed (Fatouros, 2019).
The revenue needed to pilot Mi Casa VR for an entire fiscal year starting July 1, 2020,
through June 30, 2021, is $357,400. The budget format for Mi Casa VR is a line item budget,
that will operate yearly starting July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022. This budget cycle was
selected as it is consistent with higher education institutions in fiscal year (See Appendix D for
line item budget).
Project Impact Assessment Methods
Palinkas and Soydan (2012) explain that the RE-AIM model, a program that helps
stakeholders adopt and implement effective interventions. Brownson, Colditz, and Proctor,
(2017) define each dimension of RE-AIM : 1) Reach pertains to the number of participants
willing to participate, 2) Effectiveness is the most critical impact of the intervention outcomes 3)
Adoption is the agents that are willing to initiate the program, 4) Implementation refers to both
individual and organizations fidelity to include consistency, cost, and time and 5) Maintenance is
the sustainability of the intervention over a short or long period. Therefore, the RE-AIM model
will be used to understand and monitor the success and effectiveness of Mi Casa VR to enhance
dissemination and implementation.
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The long-term goal is to determine if culturally specific VR mentoring, provided to
Latinas during their doctoral studies, results in increased success rates for historically
underrepresented, Latina doctoral students. The proposed method of assessment will include
both quantitative and qualitative data. Mentoring/volunteering satisfaction among Comadres and
Latina doctoral students will be measured through the Volunteer Satisfaction Index (VSI),
(Galindo-Kuhn, & Guzley, 2001). Student evaluations are one part of the assessment as student’s
data will be utilized to evaluate the program and inform funders. Surveys, and interviews will be
given an analyzed at the beginning, mid-term, and end of the program.
The quantitative data collection includes three phases of data collection 1) completion of
the first semester, 2) student activity and retention and, 3) completion of doctoral studies. The
qualitative data collected will include 1) mental and physical health of students and comadres, 2)
motivation to continue studies, 3) Comadres satisfaction with volunteering.
At the beginning of the program students and Comadres will be given an online survey to
rate the likelihood of involvement in Mi Casa VR. The survey will also ask for demographic and
background information. Data will then be collected on the number of students that completed
the first semester in the program.
The second component will measure student activity to include the number of mentoring
sessions completed, the number of workshops attended, services received by students from their
mentor, and students’ motivation to continue as a member of Mi Casa VR and progress to
completion. Data will be collected from Comadres to learn about students and vice versa to
understand if both are doing a good job. Data collection of both Comadres and students will help
learn about characteristics of both that contribute to success. The last set of data will be the
number of Latina students that completed their doctoral studies. This data will be essential in
CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 32

informing the scalability and success of Mi Casa VR. Feedback from both students and
Comadres will be requested mid-semester and at semester ends. This will help make program
adjustments and allow for enhancements to take place based on feedback.
The units of service that will be used to measure throughputs and output for the critical
phases of Mi Casa VR consists of activities such as the number of mentoring sessions that took
place and the number of students that were able to participate in the financial literacy workshops.
A valuable throughput consists of the number of grant submissions to allocate revenue for twelve
months. Many of the activities that need to be measured for outputs include recruiting five Latina
doctoral students and five retired volunteer mentors and the number of partnerships developed
with doctoral awarding universities (see Appendix A for Logic Model).
Stakeholder Engagement Plan
The stakeholder’s engagement is essential to inform future steps of the innovation.
As defined by Fatouros (2019), the Board of Directors will have the final approval of the
strategy, budgets, and important decision making for the Mi Casa VR. A board of directors, who
serve as the main administrators for Mi Casa VR, will provide the opportunity for multiple
people to participate in decision making. The board members will also participate in fundraising,
assist with planning, and adapt the program to ensure success and continue to meet the mission
of Mi Casa VR.
The internal stakeholders include the Board of Directors, volunteer mentors, Comadres,
and the Latina scholars. These stakeholders influence budget and program planning. It will also
be necessary to train the mentors and scholars in learning how to navigate virtual reality.
The external stakeholders and organizations that are likely to be affected by the Mi Casa
VR are the foundations that provide revenue. They also have power in whether the funds have
CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 33

any restrictions on how it should be used. Universities are also an external stakeholder because
as a receiving institution of the Latina scholars, they have the power of admitting the student or
not especially since universities are seeing an increasing number of Latinas applying to doctoral
studies. Therefore, they become an essential external stakeholder as the receiving institution. If
the number of Latinas who are admitted to doctoral research continues to grow, its impact will be
reflected in the services that Mi Casa VR can offer, therefore influencing the budget planning.
As such, the unit of services will need to increase, and an adjustment to the budget will be made.
Additionally, external stakeholders like the universities influence financial planning for
Mi Casa VR as it will be essential to implementing ways to become partners with them versus a
competitors. If Mi Casa VR develops that partnership with student support programs at
universities, then the cost to operate is influenced and the opportunity to scale becomes feasible.

Communication Strategies and Products
There are currently about 4.5 billion active social media users around the world as
reported by, We Are Social (2019); therefore, using mass media will help reach Latinas and
mentors all over the world. Mass media can also help inform stakeholders and potential funders.
It is vital for Mi Casa VR to currently occupy various social media platforms 1) Twitter
@micasavr, 2) Instagram- micasavr, 3) Facebook-Mi Casa VR, and 4) website
www.micasavr.com to communicate progress and marketing material the use of social media
allows for immediate reach with a relevant audience.
The founder of Mi Casa VR has initiated communication of innovation by presenting Mi
Casa VR during the 8
th
annual Latinx Student Empowerment Conference held at the University
of Southern California by USC CASA. This conference resulted in a positive response from
CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 34

Latinas, demonstrated interest to enroll and volunteer for Mi Casa VR from presentation (See
figure 3). Potential partnerships are pending with the Latinx Graduate Student Association. Mi
Casa VR will also have brochures that will be mailed to doctoral awarding universities to inform
them of the program. A short-form video in Spanish has also been created and posted on
YouTube and Facebook describing what Mi Casa VR is and the technology that it will utilize.
Ethical Considerations
Mi Casa VR will follow the Social Work Code of Ethics (SWCE) and core values which
are 1) service, 2) social justice, 3) dignity and worth of the person, 4) the importance of human
relationships, 5) integrity, 6) competence (NASW, 2008). The SWCE will be followed to assure
good practice while utilizing technology. Ethical behavior that follows the SWCE is to be
followed by both Comadres and students. Hansman and Burge (2009) also recommend that
ethical consideration should include honest communication as well as consideration of power
and privilege. Ethical considerations to be considered are privacy and confidentiality, as
mentoring will be provided in an online setting. This can be a potential barrier to recruitment and
implementation. Students and Comadres might feel at risk or vulnerable to share challenges in an
online setting.
Ethical behavioral issues will be resolved by the board of directors and director of Mi
Casa VR. The process will include 1) identifying the ethical issues that arise, 2) identifying
alternative courses of action, 3) ethical reasoning to decide best course of action, 4) ensure
participants that the platform Mi Casa VR uses is only available to participants of Mi Casa VR.
Resolving ethical problems of confidentiality, privacy, and communication honestly must be
resolved between Comadres and students. Setting and defining relationships, roles, and goals
will be address during the mandatory orientation that both need to attend. Finally, power and
CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 35

privilege will be considered by the Comadre, who must monitor how their power can either help
or hurt students.
Negative consequences to consider are creating a misconception that Latinas are not
capable of academic achievement on their own. This will create barriers in students’ desire to
participate in the program or share with others for fear that the only way for them to complete
their studies is by the aid of others. Another concern is that although the hope is for students and
Comadres to form a natural connection this can result in poor engagement if either party is not
connected.
Conclusions, Actions, and Implications
Summary of Project Plans
The project plans include creating a focus group that is needed to test all aspects of Mi
Casa VR thereby informing the pilot program. Partnerships are needed to help fund the first
pilot of Mi Casa VR. The steps that are needed are advertising and pitching the innovation in
various conferences to increase the likelihood of partnerships and funding.
Current Practice Context for Project Conclusions
The current practice within VR has demonstrated effectiveness in therapeutic treatment,
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety (Cosner-Berzin & Colton 2018). New York
University’s Silver School of Social Work is utilizing virtual reality to train and allow its social
work students the opportunity to practice in the virtual world before heading into the real-life
practice (Futurity, 2018). Another indicator of success is that virtual reality allows the person to
immerse and feel any situation to create behavioral change. Herrera, Bailenson, Weisz, Ogle, and
Zaki (2018) found that virtual reality allowed participants to experience any situation from any
point of view and understand someone else’s emotion and experience empathy. Herrera et al.
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(2018) describe empathy as an imperative component of successful social interactions, and with
increased understanding, virtual reality creates positive social behavior (Herrera et al., 2018).
Virtual reality is becoming feasible in educational settings. Research indicates that the
industry will increase to 20 billion dollars with an average consumer having the ability to
participate in the virtual reality experience (Briscoe, 2017). Students and faculty have great
potential to discover new ways of learning, allowing for new experiences that could not have
been possible without virtual reality (Briscoe, 2017). Similarly, Dr. Skip Rizo, director of the
University of Southern California Virtual Reality Lab-Institute for Creative Technologies, has
been practicing the healing of mental health using VR since the 1990s and treating PTSD
successfully (Conscious Founders, 2018). Research continues to support the likelihood of
success of the proposed program while enhancing the life of Latinas and older adults for long
and productive lives.
Project Implications for Practice and Further Action
The overall mission of Mi Casa VR is to increase retention and graduation rates of
historically underrepresented Latinas who enroll in doctoral programs. Mi Casa VR will inform
higher education institutions of practice to scale the use of VR to mentor students and achieve
equity gaps.
VR will allow individuals from anywhere in the world to have access to a mentor and
engage and share in experiences about the doctoral journey in a meaningful way. In terms of
longevity, VR will be future proof, as it will become more affordable, accessible to more
Latinas, and scalable to other levels of education.
Project Limitations
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Limitations that can impact the innovation are the dependence on volunteer mentors. Mi
Casa VR is also relying on foundation monies which necessitate the diversification of grants.
Another limitation is that universities may not accept to partner, creating more competition with
their in-house student support programs. Students’ time commitment can be a complicating
factor as they might not fully dedicate to the program creating a waste of resources. Recruitment
of Comadres could potentially be a factor given that the pool of Latinas with a doctoral degree is
small, and they may opt to engage in other activities. Not learning how to use VR may be a
complicating factor because Latina doctoral students and Comadres may lack the technical skill
to have high quality VR sessions. Finally, a constraint would be a rapid response of interest and
not having enough revenue to serve the demand or volunteer mentors.
Capstone Prototype Distribution
The prototype is ready to be shared with relevant practitioners and external constituencies
(see Appendix B for capstone prototype). The proposal for sharing the prototype is via the Mi
Casa VR website http://www.micasavr.com/. The Capstone user guide will be posted on the
website to allow easy access to guidelines and expectations. The mentioned prototype has been
shared with multiple users (see Apendix E) and user testing of the website has been done. After
testing the prototype website, users reviewed the website as ready to launch with no further
recommendations needed. Once funding for technology has been allocated a social media
campaign will be launched.
Conclusion and Next Steps
The next steps for Mi Casa VR are to apply for recognition by the IRS of tax-exempt
status and be recognized as a 501(c)(3) as according to the IRS recognition of exemption must be
completed within 27 months from the date of formation (IRS, 2020). The third step is to apply
CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 38

for grants and pilot the first program. The grants are needed to purchase technology for students
as it is the only barrier preventing the first pilot from launching.
After the successful implementation of pilot Mi Casa VR, future steps will be to offer Mi
Casa to other educational levels. A specific audience will be Latino students in community
college. Contributing to the GCSW Advance Long and Productive Lives and Harnessing
Technology for Social Good by increasing graduation rates of Latinas in the United States will
alleviate inequities and disparities in health, social, and economic status of the Latina
community. As previously stated, education has significant factors in the quality of a long life.
Implications of volunteering will change the norms of Latinas, and older adults as both are
significant contributors to the overall health of society and agents for change. Both activities of
mentoring and educational attainment will yield the opportunity for long and productive lives for
individuals, the community, and society. The innovation has the potential to scale-up to different
levels of education and the general student population as education is a social determinant of a
healthy and productive life.

CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 39

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Appendix A

Inputs Activities Outputs Outcomes
● Mentors/volunteers
● Latina Doctoral Students
● Funding
● Space
● Technology
● Partners
● Higher Education
Institution
● Training materials for
workshops
o Financial literacy
o Mental health awareness

● Mentoring
o Virtual
o In-person
● Workshops
o Financial
Literacy
● Training
o Career
o educational
● Fundraising
o increase grants
submissions
● Networking
● Annual
conference
● 5 Latina
Doctoral
Students
● 5 Retired
volunteer
mentors
● # of partners
● # of workshops-
materials
● Students and
mentors are
matched
Immediate (1-4mo)

Mentors
● Involvement in reducing
Latina attrition in Doctoral
studies
● Productive aging
● Improved mental and
physical health
● Volunteering
Doctoral Students
● Latina doctoral student have
a healthy
environment(space) to learn
and build on their network
Actions/ Behaviors
● Students know how to ask
for help/support from
advisors, professors, deans
● Increase discourse on Low
education attainment of
Latinas
Change in orientation
● Increase motivation to
continue studies
Quantitative changes
● How many completed first
semester, first year of
Doctoral studies
● Improved mental and
physical health-reduce
stress and mental illness
caused by graduate studies

Intermediate (4-8mo.)

Mentors
● Mentors satisfaction with
program
● Increased knowledge
about positive social
norms in the Latinx
community.

Doctoral Student
● Latina
families/community have
appropriate expectations
of home, versus
education, versus the
Latina community
● Increase mental health
awareness of related
graduate stressors

Long-Term (8-12 mo.)

● Reduced number of
older adults who are not
involved in the
community
● Increased graduation of
Latina Doctoral
Students
● Economic growth of
Latina Community
● At scale-Higher
Education institutions
implement faculty-
student mentorship
programs

Appendix B
Prototype: Mi Casa VR Outline for successful mentoring experience.

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Appendix C
Mi Casa VR Gantt Chart

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Appendix D
Budget Pilot Year
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MI CASA VR
Budget Pilot Year
Fiscal Year: July 1,2020-June 30, 2021
Revenue
Foundation Grants $350,000
Contributions $10,000

Total Revenue $360,000
Expenses
Personnel Exp
Program
Director
$85,000 1.00 FTE
IT $21,000 1.00 FTE
Accountant $55,000 1.00 FTE
Mentors $18,000 5-Mentors @75 session
Sub-Total $179,000

Benefits $53,700 @ 30% of salaries
CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 56

Total
Personnel
$232,700

Operating
Expenses

Rent $16,800 $1,400/Per Month
Technology $8,000 4 Computers
Oculus
Rift/Quest
$7,000 14 Headsets
Insurance $12,000 $1,000/Per Month
Internet $1,440 $120/Per Month
Materials/Suppli
es
$6,000 $500/Per Month
Office Supplies $500 2 desk/ 2 chairs
Conference $7,000 Annual Conference
Utilities $2,400 $200/Per Month
CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 57

Domain names
$100 1
Website
$250 Per year
Application
$120 4@ $30 each
Marketing
$5,400 $450 Per Month
Training
$5,000

Contracts
$3,740
Contingencies
$46,380 @15%
Mentor Award
$2,000 $200 Per Semester- Fall and Spring
Total
Op’s
$124,880

Total
Expenses
$357,580

Surplus/Deficit +$2,420 Reserve
CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 58

Appendix E
Mi Casa Testing & Presentation during 8
th
Latinx Empowerment conference USC CASA
February 2020

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CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MI CASA VR © 60

Appendix F
Comadres Recruitment Flyer

Abstract (if available)

Abstract The proposed project focuses on the Grand Challenges of Social Work and Society (GCSW), Advance Long and Productive Lives, and Harness Technology for Social Good. The GCSW calls for an increase in productive engagement of older adults and the engagement with existing technology for the advancement of social good (Morrow-Howell, Gonzales, James, Matz-Costa, & Putnam, 2018

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Asset Metadata

Creator Salcedo Bautista, Maria (author)

School Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work

Degree Doctor of Social Work

Degree Program Social Work

Publication Date 05/11/2020

Defense Date 04/17/2020

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag casa (home),doctoral studies,first-generation,historically underrepresented,Latinas,Latinx,OAI-PMH Harvest,virtual reality (VR)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Iglesias, Diane (committee chair), Manderscheid, Ronald (committee member), Rank, Michael (committee member)

Creator Email mesalced@usc.edu,msalcedo222@yahoo.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c89-302356

Unique identifier UC11663761

Identifier etd-SalcedoBau-8477.pdf (filename),usctheses-c89-302356 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-SalcedoBau-8477.pdf

Dmrecord 302356

Document Type Capstone project

Rights Salcedo Bautista, Maria

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA