Political Science Graduate Finds Her Path and Passion in Purpose-Driven Research – Chico State Today

Since 2021, Virginia “Ginnyâ€Â Adorador (Political Science, '24) has made the 160-mile roundtrip from Redding to Chico State several times a week. Gas, wear and tear on her car, and hours on the road all add up, but the drive also gives her time to think. 

Long before graduate school, those same highways carried her and her young son to UC Davis. When he was 20 months old, he was diagnosed with leukemia. For six years, Adorador drove him to treatment appointments. On those trips, he would ask her to read the signs unhoused people held on street corners. Their need made an impression on him, and he couldn't look away.  

So, they started bringing a cooler of sandwiches to hand out along the way. 

Years later, he turned this effort into his senior project in high school. Adorador and her son would feed neighbors in Redding's South City Park every week. After he graduated, Adorador kept going every Friday with 10 gallons of soup and 15 loaves of bread. She maintained for nearly three years until the pandemic shut it down in February 2020. 

“It's all him,†she said lovingly of her son. 

Today, during the three hours she spends driving between Redding and Chico, Adorador listens to podcasts and assigned readings while taking in the North State landscape she's known since childhood. 

“I love school,â€Â Adorador said. “I love everything about it, even the classes I haven't technically liked, because I've gone into it with the idea that I am going to get as much as I can out of every single opportunity.â€Â 

With less than a semester left in Chico State's master's program in political science and her sights set on teaching in higher education, she has built an impressive résumé. Since transferring to Chico State, she has made the dean's list every semester and recently earned the Lt. Rawlins Merit Scholarship, one of the University's most prestigious honors. 

This recognition and her pursuit of a master's degree—grew out of a difficult turning point. 

Before returning to school, Adorador spent more than three decades working in restaurants as a waitress and bartender. In her early fifties, she was fired from a job in Anderson. 

“I wish I had a better origin story, but that's what happened,†she said bluntly. “Let me tell you, finding another waitressing job at 51 is not easy.â€Â 

With few options left, she applied for unemployment. A friend mentioned that taking community college classes could extend her benefits, and with encouragement from Shasta College's Buffy Tanner, Adorador enrolled. 

“I made a deal with myself: if I could pass statistics, I'd try to get a degree. If not, I'd go back to restaurant work,†she said. “I took ‘Introduction to Statistics' in the summer of 2018 and earned an A. That A is still my greatest academic accomplishment.â€Â 

After earning two associate's degrees through Shasta College's Accelerated College Education program, Adorador transferred to Chico State in 2021 to pursue a degree in political science. Her start was unexpectedly intense. During orientation, she accidentally enrolled in upper-division classes. 

“I ended up taking three 400-level courses my first semester,†she said. “It was bumpy, but it ended up being a really good confidence booster.â€Â 

One of those courses was â€Black Political Thought†with professor Sherrow Pinder, which has proved pivotal. Pinder became both a mentor and an influence on Adorador's academic direction. 

“I absolutely adore her,â€Â Adorador said. “She expects a lot from her students, and we're better for it. At this point, I've taken every class she teaches on campus.â€Â 

Under the guidance of Pinder and political science professor Diane Dwyer, Adorador began thinking seriously about teaching. She also wrestled with questions about identity and responsibility in the classroom. 

“When I first started thinking about teaching, I wondered if a white woman should teach Black political thought or intro to African American studies,†she said. “Sherrow and I have had some amazing conversations about what that looks like and how I can do it while focusing on elevating voices that might not otherwise be heard.â€Â 

Pinder saw both intellectual curiosity and integrity in her student. 

“Ginny earned high marks for the work she completed in the class,†Pinder said. “More importantly, she earned my respect through her critical analysis of complex issues, particularly within Black Political Thought. She approached these topics with open-mindedness and demonstrated strong potential both to teach and to learn from her students.â€Â 

To gain teaching experience, Adorador spent three semesters as a teaching associate in large American government courses, leading four discussion sections of 25 students each semester. 

“It was challenging and empowering,†she said. “These freshmen really care. They just need a space where they can share ideas without fear of being laughed at or told they're wrong. I tried to make my classroom that place.â€Â 

After graduating, Adorador plans to take a gap year to teach before applying to PhD programs. The University of California, Davis is among her top choices, where she hopes to continue research at the intersection of race, voting, and politics. 

Her master's thesis, “Suburban Diversification and Descriptive Representation,†examines a growing disconnect in American politics. Suburbs have become some of the most diverse places in the country, yet local elected offices do not always reflect those communities. 

“Are we seeing descriptive representation, specifically on city councils?†she said. “My hypothesis is that we're not.â€Â 

Because the dataset she needs does not yet exist, Adorador is building one herself. She is currently seeking Institutional Review Board approval and plans to survey suburban municipalities across the country, with the goal of publishing the dataset in an open forum for other researchers. 

“If we don't understand why we're not seeing this, we can't fix it,†she said. 

For Adorador, the research reflects the same instincts that guided her years earlier: paying attention to people who are often overlooked and asking difficult questions about who gets heard. 

In May, she will make her final commute as a master's student.