Metaphors can be used in qualitative research to illuminate the meanings of participant experiences and examine phenomena from insightful and creative perspectives. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how I utilized "trenzas" (braids) as a metaphorical and analytical tool for understanding the experiences and perspectives of Latina teachers around being a well-educated person. Accordingly, this paper is organized into three strands. First, I discuss "trenzas" as a metaphorical concept in raced-gendered epistemology, highlighting the work of Chicana/Latina feminist scholars in law and education. Second, I describe how metaphorical thinking informed the methodological design. Third, I explain how I used "trenzas" to make sense of data and build theory. The discussion weaves the three strands together to emphasize the functional and generative nature of "trenzas" as a metaphorical-analytical tool for gaining critical and nuanced understandings of how personal, professional, and community identities shape participant' experiences and perspectives.