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Cherish (She/Her) is a fourth-year PhD student in the Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis department and is advised by Dr. Rachelle Winkle-Wagner. She comes with over ten years of experience working in higher education in difference capacities. She attended the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater as a transfer student, receiving associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Her research explores how historically marginalized students navigate to and through higher education. In doing so, she focuses on three tenets: (1) student experiences, (2) persistence, retention, and educational attainment, and (3) how institutions dismantle or perpetuate systemic and systematic barriers.

Education
Master of Science in Education in Professional Development (2018), University of Wisconsin–Whitewater
Bachelor of Arts in Sociology (2016), University of Wisconsin–Whitewater
Associate of Arts in General Studies (2015), University of Wisconsin–Whitewater

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
Golden, C. (2026). Critical Organizational Qualitative Analysis (CritOrgQual): An approach for researching organizational racism [Manuscript in preparation]. Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Golden, C. (2026). Critical Organizational Qualitative Analysis (CritOrgQual): An application for racialized social systems, organizations, and routines at a predominately White institution [Manuscript in preparation]. Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Golden, C. (2025). Same-generation kinship networks: A familial persistence tool [Manuscript in preparation]. Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Contreras-García, N., Luedke, C. L., & Golden, C. (2024). The role of relational reciprocity: How students’ families support and influence them during the transition to higher education. Education Sciences, 14(7), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14070689

Blog Posts
Golden, C. (2025, March 3). Seeking Indigenous Financial Aid Opportunities in the Southwest. Student Success Through Applied Research Lab, University of Wisconsin–Madison. https://sstar.wisc.edu/seeking-indigenous-financial-aid-opportunities-in-the-southwest/

Collom, G., Golden, C., & Jeffers, M. (2025, January 6). Exploring Indigenous Financial Aid Opportunities in the Mountain West. Student Success Through Applied Research Lab, University of Wisconsin–Madison. https://sstar.wisc.edu/exploring-institutional-level-indigenous-financial-aid-opportunities-in-the-mountain-west/

Golden, C. (2024, December 2). Indigenous Financial Aid Opportunities in the Pacific and West Coast. Student Success Through Applied Research Lab, University of Wisconsin–Madison. https://sstar.wisc.edu/indigenous-financial-aid-opportunities-in-the-pacific-and-west-coast/

Golden, C., Jeffers, M., & Collom, G. (2024, October 7). Navigating Indigenous Student Financial Aid Opportunities in New England. Student Success Through Applied Research Lab, University of Wisconsin–Madison. https://sstar.wisc.edu/navigating-indigenous-student-financial-aid-opportunities-in-new-england/

Golden, C. (2024, September 3). What to Know about Financial Aid Opportunities for Indigenous Students in 6 Select Midwest States. Student Success Through Applied Research Lab, University of Wisconsin–Madison.fhttps://sstar.wisc.edu/snapshot-of-indigenous-student-financial-aid-opportunities-6-midwest-states-with-colleges-offering-institutional-level-funding/

Service
Graduate School Dean’s Advisory Board (September 1, 2026 to Present)
Student Representative, UW-Madison’s Chancellor search-and-screen committee (April 2026 to Present)
Color of Drinking Survey Taskforce (July 1, 2025 to Present)
Graduate and Professional Student Committee, Associated Students of Madison (February 5, 2025 to Present)
Student Council Graduate Student Representative, Associated Students of Madison (December 4, 2024 to Present)
New Graduate Student Welcome Panelist (August 28, 2024)
Summer Education Research Program (SERP) Graduate Mentor (May 2023 to August 2024)
Student Representative, School of Education Dean search-and-screen committee (November 2023 to May 2024)

Awards & Honors
University of Wisconsin–Madison Education Graduate Research Scholars Fellowship Program (2023-2028)
Universities of Wisconsin Administration Higher Education Fellowship Program (2023-2025)
University of Wisconsin–Whitewater P.B. Poorman Pride Center’s Outstanding LGBT*, Sexuality, or Gender Identity Research or Presentation (2018)