Fany DeJesús Hannon came to the U.S. at 20 years old from her native Honduras, speaking no English and warned by many that she may never become fluent enough to pursue a college degree.

Hannon not only overcame that hurdle, but went on to become first in her family to receive a bachelor’s degree – and then topped it off with master’s and doctorate degrees, focusing her research on fostering a sense of belonging and support in peer mentoring programs for Latinx/a/o college students.

Rejecting the deficit model that some had projected on her, Hannon embraced her unique cultural and academic strengths, and now helps others do the same in her role as the UConn’s Dean of Students.

“I believe in the power of a sense of belonging, and that is what creates community and supports students’ success,” says Hannon, who was director of UConn’s Puerto Rican/Latin American Cultural Center (PRLACC) for 10 years before her current position.

Contrary to Connecticut’s stereotype as an enclave of wealthy white Manhattan expats, its rich cultural tapestry includes a significant Hispanic/Latino population. In fact, their numbers grew by 30% between 2010 and 2020 in Connecticut, outpacing the national growth of 23%.

That growth has been driven primary by residents of Puerto Rican origin – who comprise 8% of Connecticut’s population, the highest of any U.S. state – along with growing communities of Mexican, Dominican, Ecuadorian, and Colombian residents.

Overall, Hispanic/Latino residents now comprise about 17% of Connecticut’s population and about 18% of the undergraduates at UConn – up from 4% at UConn in 1994, and 10% as recently as 10 years ago.

Hannon, UConn’s dean of students, is among about 10,000 native Hondurans in Connecticut. At the national level, they are the fastest-growing group since 2010, with a 47% increase in population between 2010 and 2021.

“I’m very open about my identities and my pride in being a Latina and Honduran, and I tell our students to be proud of their own journeys and celebrate their cultural wealth,” Hannon says.

As its Hispanic/Latino population has grown, UConn has bolstered services across its campuses over the past several decades to celebrate the students’ cultural heritages, foster a sense of community, and provide academic and social supports.

UConn’s regional campuses in Stamford and Waterbury are designed as Hispanic-Serving Institutions with Hispanic/Latino populations of 34% and almost 30%, respectively; and UConn Hartford is an emerging HSI at 20% and growing every year.

At UConn Waterbury, the University recently launched Camina Conmigo (Walk With Me), a program through UConn’s broader RISE initiative (Resilience, Inclusion, Success, Equity) that targets support to under-resourced populations at the Waterbury, Hartford, and Stamford campuses.

UConn aims to ensure that at least 76% of UConn Waterbury’s Camina Conmigo first-year students return in the following year; that 85% or more are in good academic standing; and that at least half graduate within six years.

It also aims for at least 69% of its participants to report positive personal financial wellness – meaning they are able to find, navigate, and receive appropriate aid – as measured on the SERU Survey (Student Experience in the Research University).

The University also expanded its La Comunidad Intelectual living/learning community for students from its first locations in Storrs and Stamford, now adding a Waterbury presence through the Camina Conmigo program.

For Hannon and others, the work is both professional and personal as they help Hispanic/Latin students navigate their UConn journey while celebrating their culture and ways in which it contributes to their success. In fact, she was among those who helped coordinate the launch of La Comunidad Intelectual in 2014.

“What we think about collectively as a university is focusing on the programs and supports that help our students be successful – not only academically, but also holistically in their well-being and in being sure they have a sense of belonging,” Hannon says.

Hannon says that sense of belonging was crucial to her as she pursued her academic and career paths, leaving the political and economic situation in Honduras with her family after selling most of what they owned so they could make a new start.

They settled initially in Brooklyn before moving to Miami, where she tutored Haitian and Cuban refugees in English at Miami Dade College while earning her associate’s degree, later, joining the college’s workforce as a student adviser and case manager.

Throughout the journey, she says, she was supported by professional and peer mentors whose encouragement was invaluable, and whose example inspires her own dedication to mentoring.

She moved to western Massachusetts to earn a bachelor’s degree at Smith College in Latin American Studies with a minor in Brazilian Studies, then came to UConn in 2006 for her master’s degree in higher education and student affairs.

She never left. After working as manager of students and young alumni relations at the UConn Foundation for almost five years, Hannon was appointed as PRLACC’s director in 2012. She was then named Interim Dean of Students in 2022 and appointed permanently in spring 2024, not long after she completed her doctorate in 2023 in higher education administration from New England College.

Hannon also is an affiliate faculty member of UConn’s El Instituto: Institute of Latina/o, Caribbean, and Latin American Studies; and teaches classes for the University’s First-Year Experience and Senior-Year Experience programs.

While her background gives her special insight into the experiences of UConn’s Hispanic/Latino students, Hannon says she values the fact that being Dean of Students lets her positively impact people from all backgrounds.

“The students are my favorite part and the reason I do this work. They bring so much to us to learn: They are entrepreneurs, they are creative, and they bring ideas and enthusiasm to the table that we could never have imagined,” Hannon says.

“As a Latina, my family is my life, and everything we do here is meant to help our students feel the sense of community and belonging that lets them know that UConn is their family,” she says.