Gabriel Pulido was born and raised in Sacramento, California, and first became involved with creative writing in the youth poetry slam scene. While at UC Santa Cruz Gabriel utilized classroom lessons to fuel his creative writing endeavors. Currently, he is a fifth-year doctoral candidate in Higher Education (with a double minor in African American and Diaspora Studies & Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies) at Pennsylvania State University. Gabriel considers himself to be a transdisciplinary scholar whose work often travels across multiple fields. Ultimately, Gabriel seeks to perform the work while honoring the rich histories and legacies that scholar-activists have fought for. Presently, Gabriel has three lines of research commitments: 1. Artistic Performance and Retention in Higher Education 2. Mentorship, Relationality, and Belonging and 3. Arts-based methodologies and activism in social science research. Gabriel’s academic and creative writing often intersect and find a home at the center of healing. Gabriel considers himself a conjurer of joy, love, and resilience, as he uses both creative and academic writing to work toward collective liberation. When not writing, Gabriel can be found near a body of water dreaming of becoming just as free.