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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FELLOWS
To connect with one of our Community Education Team, please email . Make sure to write the team member's first name in the subject line.
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Angelica
Alameda
Angelica was born in Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. At thirteen months of age, Angelica moved to California with her parents in search of a promising future for their family. They settled in a small northern town within the California Central Valley. Angelica is currently a 4th-year student at UC Berkeley studying psychology and is an avid immigrant rights activist. She aspires to be a role model for her younger brothers, community, and peers as she continues to advocate for immigrant rights and equity in health access. She plans to pursue graduate school after graduation.
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Mitzia
Alameda
Mitzia was born in Sahuayo, Michoacan, Mexico. She immigrated to the United States when she was 9-year-old. Her family moved around Oregon and Wisconsin until they settled down in San Jose, CA. Mitzia always knew she was different, but the implications of being undocumented became a reality her senior year of high school as her classmates were enjoying educational opportunities she was deprived of. Mitzia did not “come out” as undocumented until she was able to get DACA, as it gave her the confidence to accept and embrace her identity. Mitzia graduated from San Jose High School as valedictorian and started her undergraduate education at the University of California, Berkeley in Fall 2014.
DACA made such a great impact on her that she aspires to go to law school and become an immigration attorney; she wants to help people obtain the security and confidence that she was given through DACA. During her first year of college, Mitzia learned about the barriers embedded in the Latino community that make it hard for Latino youth to pursue a college education, such as the school-to-prison pipeline. In her family, the value of education was very much present, and she wants to share that ideology with others. As a result, she joined E4FC as its mission statement merges her main interests within community social work: education and undocumented youth.
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Valeria
Santa Clara
Valeria was was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco in Mexico and came to the United States with her parents when she was 16 years old. Her family has resided in California since their arrival in 2011. She graduated from Hercules High School where she confronted language barriers and academic obstacles, but with her enthusiasm and perseverance, she enrolled in Contra Costa community College. She is now getting ready to transfer to Santa Clara University to get her Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering and dreams to specialize in spatial robotics.
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Yaritza
San Mateo
Yaritza was born in Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Michoacán, Mexico and migrated to the United States at the age of eight. She attended Sequoia High School where she took advantage of IB classes and college focus programs like BUILD and AVID. While she was insecure because of her immigration status, she challenged herself by taking a part of the Dream Club and sharing her immigration story. With the help of everyone around her who encouraged her to go to college, she made the decision to attend Notre Dame de Namur University and received her Bachelors in Psychology with minors in Art and Sociology this summer. Education is very important to her, and she uses her time to tutor other students. She hopes to go to graduate school in the future and keep working with undocumented youth and their families.
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OUTREACH AMBASSADORS 2015-2016
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola (DKA Photography) |
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Angelica
Alameda
Angelica was born in Cuidad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. At thirteen months of age, Angelica moved to California with her parents in search of a promising future for their family. They settled in the small town of Manteca, which lies in the northern Central Valley. Angelica is currently a 3rd year student at UC Berkeley studying psychology. After engaging in undocumented student organizations her freshmyn year and being part of E4FC in 2014, Angelica is now an avid immigrant rights activist. Angelica holds leadership positions in the California Dream Network and UCB's undocumented student group, Rising Immigrant Scholars through Education. She aspires to be a role model for her younger brothers, community, and peers as she continues to advocate for immigrant rights and equity in educational access. She plans to study abroad her last year at UCB and to pursue a doctorate program in clinical psychology after graduation.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola (DKA Photography) |
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Guillermo
Santa Cruz
Guillermo was born in Guadalupe de Rivera, Irapuato Guanajuato Mexico in 1990. Guillermo immigrated to the United States in July 1994 with his older brother and mother to reunite with his father in Los Angeles. Like any other family that immigrates to the United States, they immigrated for a brighter future. He attended Wadsworth Elementary School and also attended Carver middle School in Los Angeles. In these years, Guillermo learned the value of education because his parents always told him that education was the only way that he could exit poverty. He then attended Westchester High School in Marina Del Rey. While at Westchester, he was sponsored by Santa Monica Soccer Club where he spent two years playing for the club. After finishing his role in Santa Monica, Guillermo enrolled in East Los Angeles College. While at East Los Angeles College, he decided to major in mathematics because he fell in love with the subject. Specifically, Guillermo loves to inform people of mathematical concepts. At the college he was a supplemental instruction coach for the math department and the mentor of the program. In that role he worked with students on their path to college. Guillermo is attending the University of California Santa Cruz. He is pursuing a degree in applied mathematics. His goals are to continue to provide resources for undocumented students, and stay in academics and contribute to mathematics as an educator or a researcher.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola (DKA Photography) |
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Eulalio
Napa
Eulalio was born in Zamora, Michoacán, Mexico, to a family of farm workers. He was raised in the open fields, often helping out his Dad work during the weekends by harvesting corn and strawberries. He was brought to the United States at the age of 12, where he was reunited with the rest of his immediate family in Napa, CA. Eulalio became the first person from his family to graduate High School; having graduated from Napa High School in 2008. He now attends Napa Valley Community College, and will be transferring to UC Santa Cruz where will pursue his degree in Economics and Political Science. As a proud UndocuQueer, Eulalio hopes to be a mentor and shed light on UndocuQueer issues.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola (DKA Photography) |
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Jacqueline
Santa Cruz
Jacqueline was born in Taxco, Guerrero, Mexico. She migrated to San Diego, California at the age of 9. She struggled learning English but seeing her parents’ work vigorously encouraged her to work hard in school in search for a better future. She is the first of her family to go to college but believes she won’t be the last; she has two younger brothers who she hopes to encourage pursuing a higher education. Although she obtained honors standing in high school, her dream of attending college seemed impossible. She was unaware of the resources available to undocumented students but decided to take a chance and apply to different UC’s and CSU’s. As a senior in high school, she noticed how the lack of information for undocumented students decreased their chances of attending college and she vowed to spread awareness of the opportunities offered. She is currently a sophomore at the University of California, Santa Cruz pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology. She will attend graduate school and obtain a PhD in Psychology. Her ultimate goal is to offer counseling and therapy to the immigrant community. Although she is far from home, the support and encouragement of her family keeps her motivated.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola (DKA Photography) |
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Valeria
Contra Costa
Valeria was born in Guadalara, Jalisco in Mexico and came to the United States with her parents when she was 16 years old. Her family has resided in California since their arrival in 2011. She graduated from Hercules High School where she confronted language barriers and academic obstacles, but with her enthusiasm and perseverance, she enrolled in Contra Costa College. As an undocumented student, she faced many obstacles, and that pushed her to do better and work harder every day. She's currently in her sophomore year in Contra Costa community college where she has created resources for other students that like her, face certain obstacles in their way to higher education. She is getting ready to transfer to a 4-year university to get her Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola (DKA Photography) |
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Fidel
Contra Costa
Fidel was born in Encarnacion de Diaz, Jalisco, Mexico and came to the United States at the age of 6 along side his parents and younger sister in the year 2000. Since then, Fidel was able to go back to visit his home country twice, due to the past ease to travel back and forth from Mexico to the U.S. via a Tourist Visa. However, since the year 2005, he has settled down with his family residing in California. Fidel graduated from Middle College High School in 2012 and is currently a senior Computer Engineering student at San Francisco State University. Throughout his college career, Fidel has worked as a mathematics, physics and engineering tutor in schools such as MCHS, Contra Costa College and UC Berkeley. After achieving his engineering degree, Fidel hopes to pursue his masters degree in education from UC Berkeley in order to have the option to teach students in his community, who have dreams of pursuing a career in the STEM field.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola (DKA Photography) |
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Viridiana
San Mateo
Viridiana was born in Mexico City, Mexico and migrated to the United States with her mom at the age of seven. She started school in the US in third grade at a bilingual elementary school. However, two years later she had to move to a different school. The transition was very hard since she had always spoken Spanish with her classmates. The language barried in the US did not stop her from wanting to achieve a better future for her and her mother. During high school she learned more about where she came from and the things she was and was not able to do because of her immigration status. She joined a Dream Club at her high school in order learn more and help out her peers. As of 2015 she is attending Cañada community college hoping soon to transfer to a four year University to study nutrition.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola (DKA Photography) |
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Yaritza
San Mateo
Yaritza was born in Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Michoacán, Mexico and migrated to the United States at the age of eight. She attended Sequoia High School where she took advantage of IB classes and college focus programs like BUILD and AVID. While she was insecure because of her immigration status, she challenged herself by taking a part of the Dream Club. With the help of everyone around her who encouraged her to go to college, she made the decision to attend Notre Dame de Namur University. Throughout college, she has had multiple jobs to help pay for tuition, and she can say that she will graduate debt free. Yaritza will be receiving her Bachelor's of Arts in May 2016, with a major in psychology and a double minor in sociology and art. Education is very important to meher and she has been a tutor ever since high school, and hopes to work with students in the future.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola (DKA Photography) |
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Javier
Santa Clara
Javier was born in Aguililla, Michoacán, Mexico, and raised in a little ranch called "El Rincon." His parents migrated to the U.S. when he was 11. Two years later, Javier migrated to the U.S. along with his 11 year old brother and his 12 year old sister. After walking for three days and three nights, he made it to the U.S. and started school at Garfield middle school as a 7th grader. Javeir went on to Sequoia High School. At Sequoia, he was part of the Dream Club, which fundraises money to help undocumented students go to college and raise awareness of the challenges that undocumented students have to go through to attend college. Javier graduated high school with a 3.7 GPA and received the "Principal's Award," a 500 dollar award from the principal, a special recognition on the principal's graduation speech and was a part of AVID. Now a senior at San Jose State University majoring in Justice Studies with a minor in Sociology, he hopes to go to work for non-profits for a couple of years, and eventually work as police officer. He loves to give back to his community and help others pursue their education and achieve their goals. Javier wants to be a role model for younger generations to follow, specially for his younger brothers and cousins.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola (DKA Photography) |
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Alejandra
Contra Costa
Alejandra was born in Jalisco, Mexico and came to the United States with her parents when she was only 13 months old. She has lived in California all her life since arriving. She graduated from Ygnacio Valley High and enrolled at Diablo Valley College. She worked hard to put herself through college and recently graduated from San Francisco State University with a double major in Biology and Latina/Latino Studies. She hopes to attend graduate school and study public health and Latin American studies to serve the underrepresented, undocumented, and low socio-economic status community. She believes that education, like health care services, should be a right to every person in the world. She has a passion to serve others in any way possible, and hopes to motivate and inspire others through her personal story. When she is not busy working, studying, or serving, she enjoys practicing playing her bass guitar, reading, being outdoors, and sewing.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola (DKA Photography) |
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Ariana
Sonoma
Ariana Aparicio was born in Mexico City, Mexico and came to the United States when she was four years old. She grew up in a small town in West Marin and graduated from Tomales High School in 2007. She then enrolled and successfully completed her GE at Santa Rosa Junior College in 2009. Transferred to Sonoma State University where she graduated in 2011 with a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Sociology. While at Sonoma State, she co-founded the first AB540 support group, which enabled students to have a safe space on campus. She is now working at Sonoma State as an Academic Advisor for Undeclared/Science & Technology students and continues to support the undocumented students at SSU via the Dream Ally Taskforce and the DREAMers Club that were both recently established. Ariana is interested in continuing to work in higher education and hopes that through her work and community involvement she can make positive changes that will benefit future generations.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola (DKA Photography) |
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Marlene
Santa Clara
Marlene was born in El Salvador in a small town called San Sebastian. Her parents came to the United States when she was 6 years old. Three years later, when she was 9, she came to reunite with her parents in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Marlene graduated from Greater New Bedford Vocational Technical High School in the top 10 of her class. Currently, she is a sophomore at Santa Clara University majoring in Biology with a minor in Public Health. In the future, she plans to attend Medical School and work with disadvantaged families in Latin American countries.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola (DKA Photography) |
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Mitzia
Alameda
Mitzia was born in Sahuayo, Michoacan and was raised in Tizapan, El Alto, Jalisco. She mmigrated to the United States in 2006, as a 9 year old. Her family moved around Oregon and Wisconsin until they settled down in San Jose, California. Mitzina always knew she was different, but the implications of being undocumented became a reality her senior year of high school as her classmates were enjoying educational opportunities she was deprived of. Mitizia did not “come out” as undocumented until she was able to get DACA, as it gave her the confidence to accept and embrace her identity. The significance of DACA was beyond a social security number for Mitizia, it was reassurance and security. Mitizia graduated from San Jose High School as valedictorian and started her undergraduate education at the University of California, Berkeley in Fall 2014. DACA made such a great impact on her that she aspires to go to law school and become an immigration attorney; she want to be help people obtain the security and confidence that she was given through DACA. During her first year of college, Mitizia learned about the barriers embedded in the latino community that make it hard for latino youth to pursue a college education, such as the school-to-prison pipeline. In her family, the value of education was very much present, and she wants to share that ideology with others. As a result, she joined E4FC as its mission statement merges her main interests within community social work: education and undocumented youth.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola (DKA Photography) |
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Jose Jaime
Santa Clara
Jaime was born in Toluca, Estado de Mexico and came to the United States with his parents when he was 4 years old. His family has continuously resided in CA since their arrival in 2000. He graduated from Pioneer High School in 2014, and is currently enrolled in San Jose State University. He is pursuing a BS in Industrial and Systems Engineering and he is passionate in learning. While at SJSU, Jaime participated in a student run organization called Student Advocates for Higher Education (SAHE). Within the organization he was involved in community outreach through San Jose sharing insight on applying to college and scholarships to High School students. As a first generation student he describes how he would not be here if it wasn't for his mentors and parents who guided him every step of the way. His hope is to keep doing outreach work and inspire more students to attend college.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola (DKA Photography) |
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Diego
Alameda
Diego Castro was born in San Miguel, El Salvador and came to the US when he was 6 in hopes that his family would remain united, and has lived in California ever since. After graduating from Mt. Eden High School, he enrolled at San Francisco State University. He says he is forever helpful because he was given the ability to go through the DACA program, go to school, and work. When he was younger he never knew how difficult his journey would be, but was able to make it work through perseverance and lots of help. The truth of the matter is that humans need each other, and Diego's hope is to one day be able to give back to those who need help and inspire others to help.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola (DKA Photography) |
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Laura
Contra Costa
Laura is an Outreach Ambassador in Contra Costa County.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola (DKA Photography) |
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Michelle
San Mateo
Michelle is an Outreach Ambassador in San Mateo County.
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OUTREACH AMBASSADORS 2014-2015
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Javier
South Bay
Javier was born in Aguililla Michoacán, Mexico, and raised in a little ranch called "El Rincon." His parents migrated to the U.S. when he was 11. Two years later, Javier migrated to the U.S. along with his 11 year old brother and his 12 year old sister. After walking for three days and three nights, he made it to the U.S. and started school at Garfield middle school as a 7th grader. Javeir went on to Sequoia High School. At Sequoia he was part of the Dream Club, which fundraised money to help undocumented students go to college and raise awareness of the challenges that undocumented students had to go through. Javier graduated high school with a 3.7 GPA and received the "Principal's Award" a 500 dollar award from the principal, a special recognition on the principal's graduation speech and was a part of AVID. Now a junior at San Jose State University majoring in Justice Studies with a minor in Sociology, he hopes to go to law school and eventually become and FBI or DEA agent. He loves to give back to his community and help others pursue their education and achieve their goals. Javier want to be a role model for younger generations to follow, specially for his younger brothers and cousins.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Angelica
East Bay
Angelica was born in Cuidad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. At thirteen months of age, Angelica moved to San Jose, California with her parents in search of a promising future for their family. After a couple of years, they settled in the small town of Manteca, which lies in the northern Central Valley of California. Angelica graduated high school with honors in 2013 and is currently a sophomore at UC Berkeley studying Psychology. Throughout high school, Angelica was afraid of her identity. After being interviewed by NBC Nightly in regards to the California Dream Act before her first year in college, she grew out of her fear and accepted he immigration status. Angelica is now the campus representative for the California Dream Network, an intern at the General Consulate of Mexico in San Francisco, and an active member of the campus immigrant group, Raising Immigrant Scholars through Education. She aspires to be a role model for her younger brothers, community, and peers as she continues to advocate for immigrant rights and education for all. Her goal is to become a counselor available to the community at large and create a college readiness program for students in the Central Valley. In her free time, she loves to draw and paint, dance folklorico, travel, and spend time with her family and friends.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Valeria
East Bay
Valeria was born in Guadalara, Jalisco in Mexico and came to the United States with her parents when she was 16 years old. Her family has resided in California since their arrival in 2011. She graduated from Hercules High School where she confronted language barriers and academic obstacles, but with her enthusiasm and perseverance, she enrolled in Contra Costa College. As an undocumented student, she faced many obstacles that others didn’t, and that only pushed her to do better and work harder every day. Now, she is studying her sophomore year in a community college where she has created resources for other students that like her, face certain obstacles in their way to higher education. She plans to transfer out to a 4-year university to get her Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering and to get her Master's Degree in the future.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Jan
East Bay
Jan was born in Laguna, Philippines and migrated to the United States with her family when she was 8 years old. She spent most of her upbringing in the San Francisco Bay Area where she attended high school and college. Understanding the value of education, Jan persevered and worked three jobs in order to fund her college education—as a private tutor, as a research assistant at the Roorda Vision Science Lab in UC Berkeley, and as a clinical research coordinator at Pacific Eye Associates in San Francisco. Her clinical experience and exposure to human pathology solidified her passion to learn more about human health. She received her Bachelor's degree in Molecular and Cell Biology from UC Berkeley in 2013 and completed a Medical Post-Baccalaureate program at UC San Francisco in 2014. In the future, Jan hopes to take on a career as a physician, devoting her practice to serving the underserved, especially the undocumented community.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Rossmeri
North Bay
Rossmeri was born in Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico and migrated to the United States with her family at the age of 5. She graduated from Sequoia High School and currently attends Sacramento State as a sophomore, double majoring in Communication Studies and Sociology. Rossmeri is a first generation college student and believes in being an example for younger generations. She is striving to bring about immigration and social reform. She knows she can not bring about this change alone and this is why she has been heavily involved in her community since a young age. Rossmeri served as President for Sequoia’s Dream Club and Boys and Girls Club Keystone Leadership Club for 3 years. These positions allowed her to grow as an individual and a role model who encourages youth to pursue higher education. Rossmeri believes that education is key to success and she is hoping to receive her BA from Sacramento State and return to her community to help bring about necessary change.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Damian
East Bay
Damian was born in Puebla, Mexico and came to the United States when he was only 13 months old. He received his Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering from UC Santa Barbara in June 2013 and has been working as a Mechanical Engineer for Inogen, a small biomedical device company, since then. While at UC Santa Barbara, Damian was the scholarship chair for Improving Dreams Equality Access and Success (IDEAS), an undocumented student support group, where he shared insight on applying for scholarships and fundraising for the student members. He also served as Co-chair of Los Ingenieros, a Chican@/Latin@ engineering organization dedicated to the advancement of Chican@’s/Latin@’s in science and engineering. This fall, he will attend a joint program through UC Berkeley/UC San Francisco to obtain a Masters of Translational Medicine. Marred by family health issues and the difficulties of accessing health care for undocumented immigrants, Damian aspires to become a biomedical device engineer in order to make healthcare more financially accessible to all.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Jose
North Bay
José was born in Jalisco, Mexico and moved to the United States with his family at the age of two. He grew up in Napa, California where he graduated from Napa High School and attended Napa Valley College. José transferred to the University of California, Berkeley where he received his bachelors in Molecular and Cell Biology in 2010. He is motivated to become a dentist and advocate for the importance of oral health in underserved communities. His community service includes volunteer work at mobile dental clinics and outreach events that provide free dental care to the public. Jose was admitted as the first undocumented student to the Interprofessional Health Post-Baccaulearute Program at the University of California, San Francisco. As one of the six pre-dental students for the 2013-2014 cohort, he successfully completed the program and will be applying to dental schools in 2014. As a member of Pre-Health Dreamers, an inspiring network of undocumented pre-health students, José is eager to continue supporting Dreamers pursuing the health field and inspire other underrperesented pre-dental students.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Ariana
North Bay
Ariana Aparicio was born in Mexico City, Mexico and came to the United States at the age of four. She grew up in Point Reyes Station, California where she graduated from Tomales High School and enrolled at Santa Rosa Junior College. She then transferred to Sonoma State University where she graduated with distinction and a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Sociology in 2011. While at Sonoma State, she co-founded the first AB540 support group, which enabled students to have a safe group to discuss issues and concerns, all while receiving emotional support. As a first generation college graduate, she is interested in pursuing graduate school and continuing to help others in their pursuit of higher education. Her motivation derives from her parents’ sacrifices, being a role model to her younger siblings, and representing the Latino community in a positive way.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Dulce
San Francisco
Dulce Anahi is undocuqueer. Originally from Uruapan, Michoacan, Mexico, she came to the United States when she was eight because her parents hoped for opportunities to live a better life. After living in South San Francisco for a few years, Dulce and her family moved to Hayward, where she attended middle school and high school. After graduating from Tennyson High, Dulce attended Ripon College, a small private liberal arts college in Ripon, Wisconsin. Having majored in Psychology and minoring in Spanish, she worked at Hidden Villa as a youth educator dedicated to sharing the beauty of the farm and wilderness with middle school and high school youth. Having completed the Dream Summer Internship at National Center for Lesbian Rights, Dulce feels empowered to continue to explore the different ways she can impact immigration. She wants to be a part of creating systemic change within the immigration system. At the moment, Dulce is very interested in going into both community outreach and organizing and policy advocacy.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Sarahi
South Bay
Sarahi Espinoza Salamanca was born in Michoacan, Mexico and came to the United States at the age of 4 with her parents and older brother. She has lived most of her life in Redwood City, California and graduated from North Hollywood High School. She is currently enrolled at Cañada College. As of now, she has is undecided on a major due to her interest on many fields such as technology, environmental science, political science and media.
Sarahi has a passion for helping others. She created a website called Sarahi.tv which updates low income and undocumented student on scholarship opportunities and local event that they can benefit from. Through her work in the community she has received the Mujeres Destacadas Award, and has been honored by The White House as a Champion of Change. Sarahi hopes to one day become Mayor of Redwood City and be the voice of her people. But wherever life may take her she wants to continue to contribute to her community and inspire youth to puruse a higher education despite their background.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Carla
South Bay
Carla Elizabeth Moran was born in Pasadena, CA, and raised in Menlo Park, CA. She is the middle child of three girls and daughter of two hardworking parents who have worked hard to give her and her sisters a better living. Because of them she has always been interested in helping the community and fighting for people’s rights, especially those who are misrepresented. First-hand, she has experience the discrimination and mistreatment there is towards the undocumented community and the struggle students experience when being undocumented or being first generation college students. For that reason during her college years she was involved with student empowerment organizations and worked for the Cross Cultural Leadership Center which provided a space for students to feel respected connected and affirmed. Through her work experience she was able to help students with different resources that helped them throughout their college years. Carla recently graduated from Chico State University with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science. She would like attend law school in the future and become an immigration lawyer so she can continue to serve her community and provide the younger generation an opportunity to believe that they deserves a chance to pursue higher education no matter their social, economic or legal status!
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Estefania
North Bay
Estefania was born in Tepatitlan, Jalisco and was brought to the United States at the age of 6. This transition brought her to the Central Valley, where she has lived ever since. From a very early age her mother instilled the power of education, and the need to be resilient in face of disparity. She has taken these teachings to heart in the way she lives her life. Currently she is transitioning out of Modesto Junior College and into UC Davis as a Junior transfer. In Modesto, she worked as a Community Organizer for a non-profit (CBC) Congregations Building Community, where she learned about Social Justice work. The journey has ignited a fire within her, flamed by the love for empowerment of people and grassroots organizing. She hopes to earn a bachelor's degree in Sociology, and take the tools to create positive social change.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Diego
East Bay
Diego Castro was born in San Miguel, El Salvador and came to the US when he was 6 in hopes that his family would remain united, and has lived in California ever since. After graduating from Mt. Eden High School, he enrolled at San Francisco State University where he would like to major in either sociology or social work. He says he is forever helpful because he was given the ability to go through the DACA program, go to school, and work. When he was younger he never knew how difficult his journey would be, but was able to make it work through perseverance and lots of help. The truth of the matter is that humans need each other, and Diego's hope is to one day be able to give back to those who need help and inspire others to help.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Gilberto
Central Coast
Gilberto was born and raised from Sinaloa, Mexico. His parents decided to come to the U.S. in 2007 for a better future. At the beginning, school was really hard for Gilberto because of language differences. In high school he had a really good time because he made a lot of friends and played sports every year. His senior year was tough moving to the Bay Area and having to make friends again and adapt to a new school. Luckily for Gilberto, he met a lot of great people, like his counselor who guided him through the college system and gave him advise about overcoming immigration status related challenges. He is now a sophomore at UCSC and having a lot of fun. Juanes and Mana are some of his favorite artists.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Miguel
San Francisco
Miguel Perez was born in Guatemala and came to the United States at the age of six with my mom and older brother and grew up in California. Miguel currently attends City College of San Francisco with the goal to transfer to a four year state school to study business. Coming from a hardworking family, I have learned to kept moving forward no matter how complicated things get.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Veronica
Central Coast
Veronica Arellano was born in Mexico City and migrated to the United States at the age of seven along with her younger brother. She grew up in Oakland, California and graduated from Lighthouse Community Charter High School. Thanks to the support of her parents and teachers, she is able to attend University of California, Santa Cruz and is majoring in Chemistry with a minor in Latin America and Latino Studies. She hopes to help undocumented students and their families learn more about their rights and opportunities to pursue a higher education. Ultimately, she hopes to work in the medical field to show her parents and other undocumented students that all dreams come true with hard work, dedication, and sacrifice.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Rosa
East Bay
Rosa Solache was born in Michoacán, Mexico and came to the United States with her parents at the age of one. She graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High School in East Los Angeles in 2013 and is currently attending the University of California, Berkeley where she is double majoring in Political Science and Sociology. She hopes to serve as a leader to her community, where she advocates for underrepresented, undocumented, and low- income communities.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Crisantema
Central Valley
Daughter of Elizabeth Mancebo and Jose Gallardo, Crisantema was born in South Central Los Angeles and has now lived most of her life in California’s heartland, the Central Valley. Crissy loves and considers Merced her home. The youngest of three children, she was the first in her family to attend college. Crisantema graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in Peace & Conflict Studies with a concentration on Culture and Identity. Living in the Bay Area, she engaged on and off campus activities that helped develop her consciousness and passion for social justice. She understands the importance of organizing for racial justice and immigrant rights. Seeing her parents struggle as campesinos, motivated her to return to Merced and continue organizing. Crissy engages community members and youth by mentoring and developing their leadership skills. She motivates folks to share their own personal journeys in order to create change. Crisantema believes that all youth are the promise of transforming communities.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Luz
Central Valley
Luz was born in Tijuana, Baja California but was raised in Mazatlan, Sinaloa. She immigrated to Baldwin Park, California at the age of 14 with her mom and in search of a better future. She attended and graduated from Sierra Vista High School with honors and currently attends UC Merced. She’s working towards a degree in management with a minor in psychology. Luz is also the outreach department coordinator for S.A.L.E. at UC Merced. Since high school she understood the importance of helping others, especially the undocumented community. With the help and support of her family she has overcome her fear of being undocumented and was able to come out the shadows. Her goal is to help her family obtain a well deserved life. She also plans to have her own business in order to have resources necessary to create programs to help undocumented people. She lives everyday in the spirit of Gandhi's much celebrated words:"Be the change you want to see in the world."
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Katiuska
Central Coast
Katiuska came to the USA four years ago from Peru, without parents, money or prior knowledge of English, escaping poverty and violence with the dream of higher education. Even though Katiuska moved to live with her older siblings in the USA, she was mostly on her own. She had to mature at such a young age and start taking adult decisions. Despite the cultural shock that Katiuska was going through she became a leader in her community by volunteering her time. At the end of her sophomore year at Novato High School, she was victim of a terrible accident when she got run over by a car while walking to her community service. She suffered of a post-concussion syndrome and a post-traumatic stress disorder resulting in a clinical depression. As a result of the accident, she got attention problems, flashbacks and memory deficit that were added to her journey of learning English. Instead of giving up, Katiuska enrolled in AP classes, successfully completing high school with honors. Katisuka has continually endured financial hardships and has been resilient. She was not able to apply for jobs because of her undocumented immigration status. She worked cleaning houses and babysitting because she needed money for food. Her struggles were never an excuse for her to give up, instead they became her strength. Katiuska got selected to participate in the Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Program, and successfully completed an internship at the Marin Public Defender Office. Katiuska has been a selected scholar for many scholarships like Mi pueblo, E4FC, 10,000 Degrees, Redwoods, and the Bay Area Gardeners Foundation. Katiuska’s motivation pushed her through many obstacles and showed her that any dream can be possible with hard work and perseverance. Currently Katiuska is a studend leader at UC Santa Cruz working to give back to her community. She has attended many UC conferences and is planning a conference called practical activism for UCSC students for this fall. She has also been selected to become the Co-Chair of an organization called SASU that empowers students to share their cultural roots. Katiuska’s life has been about sacrifices, but her dream is bigger than any of her struggles. Her story has moved many hearts because her ability to persevere has shown that dreams can come true.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Ana
South Bay
Ana Lemus was born in Santa Ana, El Salvador. She came to the United States at the age of 8 and lived in Boston, Massachusetts for 12 years. She attended high school at the Boston Arts Academy, where she graduated as Valedictorian. In the spring of 2013, Ana was accepted to Santa Clara University on a full-ride scholarship and is currently a rising sophomore majoring in Psychology and minoring in Public Health Science. She plans on attending graduate school to obtain her Master’s degree as a Registered Dietitian and work with people who have eating disorders. Ana is a practicing Buddhist and during her free time, she enjoys exercising, practicing yoga, and meditating.
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OUTREACH AMBASSADORS 2013-2014
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Alejandra
Alejandra was born in Jalisco, Mexico and came to the United States with her parents when she was only 13 months old. She has lived in California all her life since arriving. She graduated from Ygnacio Valley High and enrolled at Diablo Valley College. She has worked hard to put herself through college and is now a junior at San Francisco State University studying Cell Molecular Biology and Latino/Latina Studies. She hopes to become a doctor one day to serve the underrepresented, undocumented, and low socio-economic status community. She believes that education, like health care services, should be a right to every person in the world. She has a passion to serve others in any way possible, and hopes to motivate and inspire others through her personal story. When she is not busy working, studying, or serving, she enjoys practicing playing her bass guitar, reading, being outdoors, and sewing.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Claudia
Claudia was born in Guadalajara, Mexico and came to the United States when she was seven years old. She graduated from Mills College in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political, Legal, and Economic Analysis. One of Claudia’s greatest passions is dance. She believes that dance can bridge human differences. She was a Council on Legal Education Opportunity Ambassador for two years and was selected to be a Student Fellow for The Women in Public Service Institute. Claudia aspires to enroll in a JD/Masters dual program. Ultimately, she plans to run for office and continue advocating for marginalized groups with a focus on human rights to promote a healthier democracy.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Cristal
Cristal was born in Michoacán, Mexico and at the tender age of four she migrated to the United States alongside her mother and younger sister. Cristal is a senior at Mills College where she will attain her Bachelor's Degree in Ethnic Studies. She grew up in San Jose, California before moving to Newark with her family of eight. From a very young age, Cristal understood the importance of education and was determined against all odds to accomplish a higher degree. Although she has faced educational challenges, Cristal credits her time at De Anza College as significant to her growth as a community organizer and activist. At De Anza, Cristal was able to achieve her Associates Degree in addition to a Certificate in Leadership and Social Change. Also at De Anza, she was president of Latino Empowerment at De Anza (LEAD) and member of Integral Movement for AB 540 Student Success (IMASS). She provided information to high school students about the different paths in higher education as a fellow in the Institute of Community and Civic Engagement (ICCE) and helped launch the book loan program for Higher Education for AB 540 Students (HEFAS). Currently, Cristal is a first generation peer advisor at Mills, under the Diversity and Social Justice Resource Center (DSJRC). Her passion for social justice has inspired her to become an immigration lawyer.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Darwin
Darwin was born in "La Union" El Salvador. He emigrated to the Unites States at the age of twelve with his little brother Mario. He graduated from George Washington High School on May 30th, 2013. Darwin was the student speaker at the College Track graduation and this fall he will be attending Skyline College as part of the transfer guarantee program to a four-year College. He will be majoring in Political Science. Darwin wants to represent all the minorities in the US government and help to bring about change for his community. After confronting many obstacles in his academic journey and personal life, Darwin understands that the path to success is challenging and stressful, but yet rewarding in the end. He will be the first one in my family to attend. He wants the generations that will follow him to know that is not illegal to dream for a better future!
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Evelin
Evelin was born in Morelia, Michoacán Mexico and at two years old moved to the United States with her family as economic refugees. She was raised in the inner city of East Oakland. With the loving support of family, educators, and Bay Area college readiness programs, Evelin overcame the socio-economic and political barriers that permeate institutions of higher education. Surpassing monumental statistical expectations, as a young undocumented woman of color, Evelin received a B.A. in Economics from California State University East Bay. Evelin has worked to empower her community as a volunteer at the Spanish Speaking Citizen's Foundation in Oakland, a National Council of La Raza affiliate and lobbied in the states capitol to urge the passing of the California D.R.E.A.M Act- AB 130 and AB 131. She is passionate about reaching the goal of social, economic and political equality for all, primarily in ending the disparity in access to education. She is passionate about enriching the lives of others through education, art, culture, and music.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Gustavo
Gustavo was born in Sonsonate, El Salvador and moved to the United States when he was 2 years old. He graduated from San Bernardino High School with honors in 2012 and is currently a sophomore at the University of California Berkeley. He is majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Global Poverty and Developmental Economics. His greatest motivation is his family and he has dedicated his life to helping those in need. Ultimately, he hopes to work in water purification for marginalized communities. Gustavo also began an organization in high school known as International Student Union (ISU) to help undocumented students pursue a higher education.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Jennifer
Jennifer realized in high school that her peers would have to work twice as hard to receive the education they deserved because of their legal immigration status. After graduating from Lighthouse Community Charter School in 2011, she knew she wanted to focus on learning about her roots as a Latina and how she could help change the mistreatment undocumented students. Jennifer was able to attend college at University of California, Santa Cruz after receiving the scholarship Students Rising Above. In the fall of 2013, she will be starting her junior year majoring in Latin America Latino Studies with a focus on immigration. She had the opportunity to be a part of a fundraiser for the Dream Weavers at UCSC. In this fundraiser she had the opportunity to meet Dolores Huerta and listen to the stories of AB540 students.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Jessica
Jessica was born in Redwood City, California and is a Bay Area native. She graduated from Sequoia High School in 2012 as an IB student and was also a part of the AVID program. Jessica is currently a sophomore at San Francisco State University majoring in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Exercise and Movement Sciences. Her main inspirations are her mother and father, who came to the U.S. from Mexico trying to give their future children a better life. Coming from a mixed status family, Jessica understands how important education is and hopes to help others in their pursue of an education.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Noemi
Noemi came to the United States when she was two years old. She graduated from Analy High School in 2010 and graduated from the Santa Rosa Junior College with a Psychology and Social and Behavioral Sciences major in 2013. She is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Sonoma State University. Seeing the struggles that she and many others were going through due to her immigration status she became involved with the Dream Alliance of Sonoma County and the North Bay Organizing Project to be active in the fight for justice. Noemi dream is to obtain her Ph.D. in Psychology.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Oliverio
Oliverio was born in Michoacán Mexico. He came to Santa Clara, California at age of 13 to reunite with his family and to live a better life. He graduated from Santa Clara High School in 2007 then enrolled to De Anza College in hopes of transferring to a university. His college journey led him to rediscover his sexuality and identity as undocumented student. Oliverio’s experiences made him a poet, an activist and a filmmaker in his community. He identifies as an Undocumented Latino Gay Poet and very proud of it. He is compassionate and motivated to inspire others through his art. He is working to publishing his poetry as he continues his dream of becoming a professional artist and a role model for others.
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| Photo by: Diana K. Arreola |
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Rocio
Rocio was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. She immigrated to the United States at the age of nine along with her parents and her younger sister. She grew up in Oakland, California where she had the privilege to attend a College Preparatory high school. Thanks to her optimism, the support of her family, organizations like College Track and the resources available at UC Santa Cruz, her college experience was a positive one. She graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology and Feminist Studies. At UC Santa Cruz she interned at the Education Opportunity Programs AB540 Student Services where she supported and mentored college students. Now that she has graduated, she is eager to continue supporting students and ensure that they do not miss important opportunities that can lead to their success in the future.
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Adriana
Adriana was born in Uruapan, Michoacan, Mexico and came to the United States when she was four years old. She graduated from San Mateo High School in 2011 and is currently a full-time student at Cañada College pursuing Environmental Science with the goal to transfer to the University of California, Davis. Her drive towards pursuing environmental science is the knowledge that she gains every day to be able to help those in need and take action in human rights. She is an active member of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), Women in Science and Engineering (WISE), Robotics Club, Beating the Odds Peer Mentorship Program (BTO), Dreamers Task Force and the co-president of Bridging Hispanic Minds to Success (BHMS). Adriana's passions is to help create a more equitable and sustainable global community.
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OUTREACH AMBASSADORS 2012-2013
Alma
Rohnert Park
Alma was born in Mexico City and moved to the Unites States when she was 12 years old. She graduated from Terra Linda High School with high honors in 2008 and is currently attending Sonoma State University. She is double majoring in Political Science and Fine Arts with an emphasis in Painting. In her mind, Art and Political Science are deeply interconnected and never truly separated. After confronting many obstacles on her path to college, Alma will be entering her final year and will graduate this spring. She is dedicated to helping other students achieve their dreams as well and inspire them to help the next generation.
Angel
San Francisco
Angel is a senior at San Francisco State University, majoring in Cell and Molecular Biology. He served as President of IDEAS, a SFSU's chapter of Improving Dreams, Equity, Access and Success, which is a student-run group providing resources and support for AB540 students. Angel organized SFSU's first annual AB540 conference. He has also served his community as a mentor for students in the fields of biology and public health. Ultimately, he aspires to obtain a PhD in Genetics to study disease in diverse populations. He is also dedicated to mentoring students interested in careers in research. In his spare time, Angel enjoys biking, running and listening to the latest hip hop/rap music mixtapes.
Cynthia
Antioch
Cynthia was born in Michoacan, Mexico and came to the United States when she was only one year old. Cynthia graduated as Salutatorian from Antioch High School. Cynthia is currently attending Diablo Valley Community College. Cynthia was unaware that she was an AB540 student until the end of her junior year in high school. Luckily she was able to come across supportive and motivating counselors at her school. She is currently working hard with the hope of transferring to either UC Los Angeles or UC San Diego. She wants to major in Mathematics, Economics and Sociology. Cynthia’s main motivation has been the struggle and sacrifice of her parents in addition to serving as a role model to her younger siblings. She not only strives to help and guide those in need, but she longs to make a significant change in this world.
Dean
San Bruno
Dean was born in the Philippines. He arrived in the United States with his mother at the age of 12. While in high school, Dean was unsure as to whether college would be a possibility for him. It wasn’t until his senior year that he discovered that college was, in fact, a possibility. After graduating from Capuchino High School, Dean went on to Skyline College. At Skyline, Dean was recruited by his journalism instructor to serve as a staff writer for the Skyline View- where he quickly became a well-known and award-winning photojournalist. He was also elected as a Council Senator for the Associated Students of Skyline College where he focused on immigrant rights issues and fighting the budget cuts. Currently, Dean is pursuing a political science degree at Notre Dame de Namur University. He is also serving as the co-chair of Advocacy and Outreach for Asian Students Promoting Immigrant Rights through Education (ASPIRE).
Denizee
Hayward
Denizee was born in Michoacan, Mexico. She came to the United States at age three. She transferred from Ohlone College and is currently attending San Francisco State University- where she is studying Sociology. Since 2006, Denizee has advocated to increase support and resources to students in her community. She is also invested in the promotion of healthy relations in the community through a youth leadership program called Hijos del Sol. She is very interested in law, gender/sexuality, and art. Denizee aspires to attend law school and serve the community by one day establishing her own community resource center.
Diana
San Francisco
Diana was born in Puebla, Mexico and came to the United States at 11 months old. Education has always been incredibly important to her. She understands how fortunate she is to be receiving a college education at San Francisco State University. She graduated from San Dieguito Academy in 2011. She is passionate about immigrant rights. Her future plan is to become an immigration attorney.
Fernanda
San Jose
Fernanda was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and moved to the United States alongside her parents and older sister at the age of 6. Her parents instilled in her the importance of an education from an early age. WIth the support of her family and friends, Fernanda is now a proud graduate of San Jose State University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism with an emphasis in Broadcast. Throughout the course of her education, she was honored with the Kennedy King Memorial Scholarship for minority students and the Maria Elena Salinas Journalism Scholarship. She has a passion for story telling and is on a mission to bring awareness to social issues through her work in journalism. She currently writes for a local newspaper while preparing to apply for graduate school and accomplish her dream of earning her Master's Degree in Media Studies.
Gladys
Novato
Gladys was born in El Salvador. At the age of ten she moved to the United States with her mother and two older siblings. From a young age she was determined to go college. Last spring, Gladys graduated from Novato High School in the to ten percentile of her class. During her high school years she discoverer her passion for community service and hope to maintain this passion of working for other as she continues her education. She is currently attending College of Marin on track to transferring a four-year university. She would like to major in Cognitive Science and strives to get a Ph.D. in psychology.
Juan
Berkeley
Juan Carlos was born in Léon, Guanajuato, Mexico. At the age of three, Juan immigrated to the United States with his mother, sister, and three brothers. Juan and his family came to Los Angeles, where they lived for about one year, before they moved to Richmond. Juan managed to break the language barrier and learn English, however, it was not until his junior year of high school that he moved out of English Learning Development classes. Juan was the founder of Students Moving And Rising Together (S.M.A.R.T.), a club aimed to empower AB-540 students to achieve higher education at his high school. Juan graduated with honors and he is currently attending the University of California at Berkeley. Juan’s main drive is to make his mother proud, be a role model for his younger nephews and nieces and to also inspire others who face similar situations to follow their dreams. Juan’s motto is to “remember who you are and where you come from.”
Karla
Napa
Karla was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco and came to the United States at the age of three. She lived in the Los Angeles area until 2006, when she moved to U.C. Davis to complete her Bachelor’s degree in International Relations. While at U.C. Davis Karla had the privilege of doing research on media representation of Arabs and Muslims within the Anthropology Department. She also had an internship in education policy through the U.C. Washington Program. Her experiences in Washington D.C. helped her define her passion for science and health policy, and upon her return to California she joined Clinica Tepati as an undergraduate volunteer and the Emergency Medicine Research Associate Program. Karla now attends Napa Valley College, where she is studying Physics and is a member of the Napa Valley DREAM Team.
Mandeep
Davis
Mandeep was born in Punjab, India and came to the United States when she was six years old. After working diligently on her academics throughout high school, Mandeep was admitted to the University of California at Davis. She is now in her final year at Davis and will be receiving her B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. Throughout high school and college, Mandeep has focused her attention on human rights and social justice issues. She has been a leader in organizations such as Amnesty International and the American Civil Liberties Union, and now heads her school's anti-genocide coalition. Mandeep hopes to continue on to medical school so that she can serve underrepresented communities all over the world.
Maria
Watsonville
María was born in Puebla, Mexico. She arrived to the United States when she was 12 years old with her mother and little sister. She Graduated from Pajaro Valley High school in 2011. She is currently enrolled in Cabrillo College and intends to transfer to UC Santa Cruz or UC Berkley, where she would like to obtain a degree in environmental studies. She created a Dream Club at her high school to fundraise money for scholarships to AB540 student. Since then she has been advocating for justice and equity for undocumented students and immigrants. In her first year of college she created a SUEÑOS Club to support students with financial aid, by fundraising for scholarships in addition to raising awareness of the needs and experiences of undocumented students. The Governing board of Cabrillo College passed as resolution to support undocumented students in May- a resolution she created and introduced.
Marissa
Berkeley
Marissa still remembers her childhood in Milpillas de Allende, Zacatecas, Mexico. Being raised by immigrant parents, she experienced first hand the struggles of immigrant families and confronted the injustice within the legal systems. Her family, friends, and immigrant community has pushed her to fight for social justice. She co-founded the Napa Valley Dream Act Coalition, which strives to advocate the human right of education for all. She was awarded the Napa Valley College Outstanding Student of the Year in 2012 for her hard work in her community and attention to academics. Currently, Marissa is starting her fall semester at UC Berkeley where she is majoring in Sociology. She aspires to become an attorney and work to advocate for her immigrant community.
Nestor
Santa Cruz
Nestor came to the U.S. from Mexico at the age of 11. Ten years later he was able to transfer to the University of California at Santa Cruz. He is currently a double major in Sociology and Politics. At City College of San Francisco, he worked with the undocumented and queer community to connect the services available through the VIDAS resource center and the LGBT Student Union in order to create more specific and supportive resources for undocumented LGBT students. As an undocumented and queer student himself, he strives to effectively defend the community from overarching discrimination. He strives to be a conscientious spirit in every space he enters.
Putri
San Francisco
Putri came from Indonesia in 2005 at the age of 11. She has been living in San Francisco where she went to James Lick Middle School and graduated from Lowell High School. Currently, she is attending Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill and will be applying to transfer into a 4 years university in the Fall 2012. She is majoring in Biology & Neuroscience and she is planning to pursue a career in medical field. And she will not allow her immigration status to stop her from achieving her dreams. Outside of her classes, she is involved in volunteering with American Red Cross in the campus and the Bay Area, and advocating for the DREAM Act with ASPIRE (Asian Students Promoting Immigration Rights through Education).
Yarely
Davis
Yarely was raised in Vallejo CA, by her parents who are from Jalisco, Mexico. She graduated from Vintage High in 2009, and from Napa Valley College in 2012 with an AA in Social and Behavioral Science. This fall she will be completing her B.A. in Sociology and Chicano Studies at the University of California at Davis. After that she plans on continuing with her education by obtaining her Master’s degree and give back to her community here in the bay. Ultimately, Yarely would like to move to Jalisco, Mexico for a few years to serve the communities there.
2011-2012 AMBASSADOR PROFILES
Dulce
Rohnert Park
Dulce was born in Guadalajara Jalisco, México. She was brought into the U.S at the age of ten, leaving most of her family behind. Her parents wanted to give Dulce the opportunity for a better education. School was not easy for Dulce because she came to this country not speaking any English. However, she was able to break the language barrier and graduated from Vintage high school. Today, thanks to Dulce’s hard work, perseverance, and the help of mentors, she is now at Sonoma State University double majoring in Global Studies with a concentration in Latin America and the Arts. Dulce dreams of becoming a human rights defender as well as an artist. One of her biggest dreams is to study abroad and be able to give back to the community.
Gladys
Berkeley
Gladys was born in Jalisco, Mexico and came to the United States at the age of eight. She is currently a second year student at UC Berkeley studying Political Science and Media Studies with a minor in Education. She was raised in the Los Angeles Area and graduated high school with the highest honors in 2010. Her dream is to serve her community by raising issues within the Hispanic and immigrant community and becoming a congresswoman. She is co-chair of Rising Immigrant Scholars through Education (RISE) at UC Berkeley and is dedicated to helping the undocumented student community succeed while spreading awareness of immigrant rights and the DREAM Act.
Gonzalo
Redwood City
Gonzalo was born in Michoacan, Mexico and came to the United States when he was ten years old. He graduated from Menlo-Atherton High School and is now attending Foothill College. He is planning to transfer to Santa Clara University and double major in Sociology and Spanish Studies. He wants to major in those two areas because he wants to give back to his community by helping low income students reach their goal of going to college. He lives with his older sister and younger brother and will be be the first male in his family to graduate from college.
Isabel
Oakland
Isabel is a student at Mills College double majoring in Political, Legal, & Economic Analysis and Ethnic Studies. She was nine years old when she immigrated to the United States from Oaxaca, Mexico. Isabel is interested in law and politics and was selected to participate in the Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO) Sophomore Summer Institute in Chicago, Illinois and the California Education Committee - Assembly Fellowship Program. Isabel is a dedicated agent of social justice and she hopes to empower other students to achieve their goals. Isabel aspires to get Masters in Public Policy after she completes her undergraduate studies. She then plans to enroll in a PhD- JD dual degree program.
Jose D.
Santa Clara
Jose immigrated to the US in 2000 with his mother and sister. He was nine at the time, spoke no English, and came to live in a small room of a trailer home with 10 others. He started school in the US in the fourth grade. In 5th grade, Jose’s teacher recognized he needed a more challenging curriculum and created an independent studies program for him. That same teacher later got him into Arizona’s best high school, a private Jesuit Preparatory called Brophy. During his time at Brophy, Jose learned about Ignatian values of human dignity, social justice, and reflection. He became very conscious and passionate about doing good and social justice. Jose was accepted at Santa Clara University, where he received a full scholarship to attend. He is a now a philosophy major, hoping to add a political science degree to his studies. Jose hopes to continue doing good and striving for social justice and the recognition of human dignity.
Jose M.
San Francisco
Jose was born in Acapulco, Mexico and immigrated to San Francisco when he was six years old. He currently studies at City College of San Francisco. After receiving his A.S. degree in Computer Networking Information Technology, he hopes to transfer to UC Berkeley and major in Media Studies. His main motivation is to be a role model for his younger sister by showing her the obstacles he has confronted and overcome. Being a full-time student, working in a restaurant and volunteering at his school occupies most of Jose's time, but he is always looking for more things to do, especially things that enable him to help out his community.
Julia
San Rafael
Julia was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and immigrated to the United States when she was seven years old. She is a student at College of Marin planning to pursue her education in Sociology and Ethnic Studies at a 4 year university. She graduated from Redwood High School with no hopes to attend college. It was her counselor who pushed her to keep going. Now, Julia is a part of New Marin Scholars and is graduating with honors at her college. Her passion for working with young people grew after she mentored first generation high school students on their path to college. She is currently involved in her community as an advocate for the DREAM Act and encouraging other undocumented students to pursue higher education. Julia hopes to attend Law school to continue to fight against the injustice confronted by her community.
Nadia
Union City
Nadia was born in Mexico D.F., Mexico and came to the United States with her family when she was two years old. After graduating with honors from high school, she attended the University of California, Berkeley. During her college years, she was part of the Biology Scholars Program (BSP) and volunteered at the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant (EBSC) as well as the Washington Hospital. With the unwavering support of her parents and her two siblings, she graduated from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Ethnic Studies and Integrative Biology. Nadia is currently pursuing an Associate of Arts degree in French and is applying to Master of Public Health (MPH) programs for the Fall of 2012. She hopes to research health disparities within underrepresented groups and work towards eliminating the disparities. Her ultimate goal is to promote health and social justice.
Nayeli
Marin
Nayeli was born in Morelos, Mexico and arrived in the Unites States at the age of 12. She graduated from San Rafael High School in 2006 and decided to enroll at College of Marin. While she was at College of Marin, she was able to gain experience by being involved in various campus organizations and within the greater community in Marin. Although she had to take a different route to attend a four year university, she was able to succeed and recently graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Latin American Studies. At UC Berkeley she was able to develop her passions and become more educated about the different issues that communities of color have to face. She now looks to encourage young students to continue their journey to obtain a higher education regardless of their legal status or economic/social background. She hopes to attend law school in order to keep fighting and be a voice for the people who have been marginalized in this society.
Noemi
Vallejo
Noemi was born in Jiutepec, Mexico and came to U.S. at the age of five with her mother and brother. She received an AA in Liberal Studies from Santa Ana College and transferred to CSU, Fullerton. In 2006, she received a BA in Liberal Studies. She graduated from high school in 2001 and had no plans of attending college, although she dreamed of it. Noemi is grateful to Santa Ana College recruiters who showed her the path and informed her of AB 540 and other resources. She hopes to encourage young students to pursue higher education and empower themselves with knowledge.
Steve
San Francisco
Steve is currently a student at City College of San Francisco majoring in Biology. Last year Steve Li was put into deportation proceedings and spent over two months in a detention center in Arizona awaiting deportation. Fortunately, he was able to come back home to San Francisco with the support from the community and the Asian Law Caucus, which led to Senator Dianne Feinstein introducing a private bill to delay Steve's deportation to Peru. Now he is involved in his community as an advocate for the DREAM Act and immigrant rights. His career aspiration is to go into the field of medicine and open a free clinic in the Bay Area to serve uninsured/under insured immigrant communities.
2010-2011 AMBASSADOR PROFILES
Adriana
Mountain View
Adriana was born in Cuernavaca, Morelos in Mexico and came to the United States when she was four years old. She graduated from Los Altos High School and is now attending Foothill College. She hopes to transfer to Santa Clara University and major in either sociology or pre-law. She wants to major in those areas because she wants to be in a position to help others. She has seen how people struggle with issues that are occurring around the world and would like to help by being involved in her community. She lives with both parents who support her and hope she will become the first person in their family to graduate from college.
Ana
San Francisco
Ana was born in Tijuana, Mexico. She and her mother moved to Michoacan, Mexico when she was one and lived there until the age of eight. Ana's mother immigrated to the United States when she was six years old, leaving her with her grandparents. Two years later, Ana reunited with her mother in the US. Although she initially struggled with English, Ana able to learn quickly and was able to enroll in honors courses by the time she was in high school. She is currently enrolled at San Francisco State University. Ana is deeply grateful to her mother for all her sacrifice and hard work, as well as to her teachers and mentors who have guided and supported her. Ana was proud to be part of ASI Project Connect: a program at reaches out to underrepresented communities.
Anayeli
Napa
Anayeli was born in Mexico D.F. and arrived in the United States at the age of 10. Once she learned English, Anayeli served as the family translator. After graduating from high school, she attended Napa Valley Community College, initially with the aspiration of just obtaining an Associate's Degree. Inspired by her counselor, friends and family, she decided to pursue higher education and applied to Sonoma State University, where she is currently a senior and expects to graduate this spring with a Bachelor's Degree in Spanish and a minor in Chicano and Latino Studies. Anayeli has always had a profound love of learning and is grateful for the opportunity to get an education.
Angel K.
San Francisco
Angel is a sophomore at San Francisco State University, majoring in Cell and Molecular Biology. As President of SFSU's chapter of Improving Dreams, Equity, Access and Success (IDEAS), a student-run group providing resources and support for AB540 students, Angel organized SFSU's first annual AB540 conference. He has also served his community as a mentor for younger students through Next Generation Scholars. Ultimately, he aspires to obtain a PhD in Public Health and Science. He is well on his way to achieving this dream. Last year, Angel became the youngest student in his school to be awarded the highly competitive Research Infrastructure in Minority Institutions (RIMI) fellowship, which has enabled him to begin research on increasing minority participation in clinical trials.
Angel O.
Oakland
Angel’s story starts in Cuidad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. He migrated up north when he was five with a friend of his mother. At that time he had a visitor visa that was good for six years. Six years went by and he never returned to his home country. He has completed all of his schooling here in the US, from first grade to high school and some community college. He played football in high school and in college.
Angelica
East Palo Alto
Angelica was born in Michoacan, Mexico and came to the United States when she was 12 years old. She is currently attending Foothill College and will be graduating this year as an honors scholar with an AA in psychology. Angelica wants to transfer to the University of California and major in Sociology. She is currently a member of the Immigrant Youth Action Team, which supports immigrant students in their pursuit of education. She loves helping her community because it is her way to give back for all she has achieved and to help others to reach their dreams as well.
Arandelly
San Rafael
Arandelly is a third year student at San Francisco State University where she is majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and a minor in International Relations. She is a Bay Area native who is very proud of her immigrant roots. In the spring of 2009, Arandelly became involved with Improving Dream, Equity, Access, and Success (IDEAS), an on-campus and student-run organization at SFSU that supports AB-540 students. She currently serves as IDEAS’s vice-president. Her involvement in the organization has made her a passionate advocate for immigrant student rights and immigrant rights in general. The experiences she has gained within the organization have led her to continue her work off campus and to volunteer with Bay Area community and statewide organizations. As a first-generation college student, Arandelly highly values access to higher education for all. In the spring of 2010, she became an intern for Project Connect, the recruitment and retention program at SFSU.
Ariadne
Oakland
Ariadne was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but spent most of her childhood in a suburb of Portland, Oregon. She now attends Mills College in Oakland, where she studies psychology. When she recently came back from a semester is London, she decided that she would become more involved in the community and develop as an activist. Through being part of the Outreach Team, Ariadne hopes that she will grow not only as an ally but also as an active member in the movement towards a more just and effective immigration system. Ariadne is also trying to develop a queer student network that connects the LGBTQ clubs of the different colleges and universities in the Bay Area.
Chantiri
Oakland
Chantiri was born in Queretaro, Mexico and came to California when she was 10 years old. After 11 years of domestic abuse, her mother decided to provide a better future for her and her younger sister; they left everything they had behind and came to the United States in search of a better life. Throughout her time in the United States, Chantiri has received much mentorship and support from people and groups who have believed in her. Thus she considers her personal accomplishments a testament to the community who has invested and believed in her. Chantiri graduated in May from UC Berkeley with a degree in Development Economics. At UC Berkeley she devoted most of her time to working in student groups and organizations that advocate for immigrant students and refugee rights, such as RISE and the East Bay Sanctuary. Chantiri aspires to go to graduate school in the field of education.
Cinthya
Napa
Cinthya was brought to the United States at the age of four from Michoacan, Mexico, where she was born. She is currently a junior at Sonoma State University where she is on the Dean’s List. She is majoring in Chemistry and minoring in Mathematics. Through her work in the community, Cinthya was inspired to create a scholarship program helping elementary, low-income students attend outdoor educational programs. From an early age, Cinthya took care of her younger sister and autistic brother, which taught her many life lessons and shaped her into the person she is today. Cinthya hopes to attend graduate school in the future to become a Forensic Pathologist.
Delmy
San Francisco
Delmy is from Guatemala, Guatemala. She moved to San Francisco with her parents when she was four years old. She volunteers in a non-profit agency that helps survivors of domestic violence. She is also a scholarship recipient of the Chicana/Latina Foundation, where she has met many amazing women and received great personal and professional training. Motivated by other AB540 students who were doing many wonderful projects, Delmy founded the first recognized AB540 student club at City College of San Francisco. She is now the president of the club. The club has held many workshops to educate people on what AB540 is and how teachers and counselors at CCSF and throughout the San Francisco Unified School district can better support AB540 students.
Denia
Santa Rosa
Denia emigrated from Mexico to the United States when she was only 11 months old. In high school, she was recognized as a student of the month, was captain of the cross-country team and successfully defended her peers as a teen attorney. However, Denia's college path has not always been smooth. After being accepted at Mills College, she was forced to drop out after only a year due to financial reasons. She later enrolled at Santa Rosa Junior College, working up to 18 hours per week to pay for tuition and books. She has always used her struggles as a source of motivation to achieve and better herself in order to serve and uplift others. This year, she is attending San Francisco State University, where she is studying Economics and Women Studies and continuing on her road to becoming a civil rights attorney.
Edgar
San Francisco
Edgar was born in Jalisco, Mexico. He came to the US speaking no English and began working at a construction company with his dad. Education was neither one of his goals, nor a priority. A couple of months after his arrival, he enrolled in high school and, after four years of hard-work, managed to finish in the top five of his graduating class. He is currently a second-year student at San Francisco State University pursuing a physiology degree with a minor in public health. He plans to go to medical school to better serve his community.
Hermes
San Francisco
Hermes was born in Mexico. He was brought to the US when he was six years old. Since then, has not returned to Mexico. Twenty-three years later, Hermes has dedicated himself to helping others develop and solidify their self-confidence and self-worth. He is currently volunteering with Project CONNECT, and serves as the Treasurer for IDEAS (Improving Dreams Equity Access and Success) at San Francisco State University. Hermes has been able to motivate and inspire students to continue on their path to higher education. As a student who was able to successfully transfer from a community college to a four-year university, Hermes believes that education is an invaluable and powerful tool for all young people, especially low-income and marginalized youth.
Jazmin
San Francisco
Jazmin is 18-years young and was born in Mexico. At the age of six, Jazmin and her mother immigrated to the US. She began the first grade here and has been in school ever since. She has three younger brothers, and believes it has always been important for her to set a positive example for them. She also has an older sister whom she looks up to a great deal. In June 2010, she graduated from high school in Southern California and was accepted into San Francisco State University, where she is currently enrolled as a freshman. She is planning on obtaining her Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration (Management) and is considering minoring in Accounting.
Jose A.
Mountain View
Jose was born in Durango, Mexico and came to the United States when he was four years old. With the unconditional love and support of his family and the guidance of many mentors along the way, Jose went on to study Political Science, History and Ethnic Studies at Santa Clara University. During his college career, Jose was an outspoken leader on campus around issues of racism, inequality, prejudice and oppression. Jose's work culminated as the Executive Director of the Multicultural Center of Santa Clara University. Upon graduation, Jose was trained as a community organizer for racial and economic justice by the Center for Third World Organizing in Oakland, CA. Jose's future aspiration is to aid in the alleviation of undue human suffering, in whatever way that may manifest. Jose believes himself to be incredibly fortunate for all opportunities he has had and therefore believes that he has an enormous responsibility to help uplift and empower his community.
Jose D.
Santa Clara
Jose immigrated to the US in 2000 with his mother and sister. He was nine at the time, spoke no English, and came to live in a small room of a trailer home with 10 others. He started school in the US in the fourth grade. In 5th grade, Jose’s teacher recognized he needed a more challenging curriculum and created an independent studies program for him. That same teacher later got him into Arizona’s best high school, a private Jesuit Preparatory called Brophy. During his time at Brophy, Jose learned about Ignatian values of human dignity, social justice, and reflection. He became very conscious and passionate about doing good and social justice. Jose was accepted at Santa Clara University, where he received a full scholarship to attend. He is a now a philosophy major, hoping to add a political science degree to his studies. Jose hopes to continue doing good and striving for social justice and the recognition of human dignity.
Jose F.
Berkeley
Jose was born in Aguascalientes, Mexico and immigrated to the United States when he was four with his mother and sister. He attended High Tech-LA in the San Fernando Valley, where he founded a student film club and participated in Students Run LA. He is now a junior at UC Berkeley studying Business Administration and Political Economy. Jose has always been a strong supporter of immigrant rights and has been an active member of RISE, where he has met inspiring and down-to-earth Cal students. Last summer he participated in the 2nd annual Tour de DREAMS, a 540-mile bike ride from UC Berkeley to UCLA in support of the DREAM Act. He is also a strong advocate for the legalization of drugs as a way to dismantle the Mexican drug cartels and put an end to United States' failed war on drugs. As part of his advocacy efforts, Jose founded a student organization at Berkeley, M.E.N.D., which calls for the legalization of marijuana and raises awareness about Mexico's current crisis.
Jose M.
San Francisco
Jose was born in Acapulco, Mexico and immigrated to San Francisco when he was six years old. He currently studies at City College of San Francisco. After receiving his A.S. degree in Computer Networking Information Technology, he hopes to transfer to UC Berkeley and major in Media Studies. His main motivation is to be a role model for his younger sister by showing her the obstacles he has confronted and overcome. Being a full-time student, working in a restaurant and volunteering at his school occupies most of Jose's time, but he is always looking for more things to do, especially things that enable him to help out his community.
Karla
San Francisco
Karla was born in San Salvador, El Salvador and came to the US with her two sisters when she was 11 years old. The first person in her family to attend college, Karla is currently a senior at San Francisco State University. She is pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in International Relations with a minor in Raza Studies. Karla joined La Raza Student Organization in 2009, and it was there when she really became empowered as a women and a Latina. As a coordinator of LRSO, Karla saw the need to help out the immigrant community in San Francisco, especially immigrant women. Through La Raza, she got the opportunity to meet many community leaders who have inspired her to fight for the rights of the immigrant community. After graduating, Karla hopes to work with immigrant women in San Francisco.
Marissa
Napa
Marissa was raised in Napa Ca, with her Mexican heritage from Milpillas de Allende, Zacatecas, Mexico running through her veins. She is an active member in her community where she fights for various social justice issues. She is the founder of Sembrando Semillas en la Educacion, an organization and club that helps Hispanic and Latin American students go to college. At the moment she attends Napa Valley College and is aspiring to transfer to a four-year university. Her dream is to eventually work in educational law.
Miriam
Menlo Park
Miriam was born in Mexico and has lived almost her entire life in the San Francisco Bay Area. She attended Eastside College Prep, and with the magnificent support of her teachers, she became a first-generation college student and found local scholarships to help her pay tuition. It was in the season of applying to colleges that Miriam discovered how being undocumented might block her from accomplishing her academic goals. Nonetheless, Miriam's family inspired to overcome these obstacles. She graduated from Mills College in May 2010, majoring in Women's Studies. Immediately after graduating, she worked with the Sadie Nash Organization, a feminist social activist summer program for female high school students in Newark, New Jersey, where she assisted and lead classes on leadership, social justice, and wellness. Since then, she has devoted her heart to working alongside youth in low-income marginalized communities. She plans to obtain a Master's Degree in the future.
Oriana
Hayward
Oriana was born in Mexico City, Mexico and moved to the United States when she was 15 years old. In the US, she has faced many challenges such as separation from her family, language barriers, and acclimating to a different culture. Despite the language and cultural differences, she was able to graduate with honors from high school. After high school, she worked full time, volunteered for the Hayward Public Library, participated in her church basketball league, and attended Chabot Community College. Soon to achieve her goal of of obtaining her Associate's Degree, she will be working on obtaining a BA degree in International Relations. Oriana's dream is to one day become a role model in her community and help others achieve their dreams.
Osvaldo
Sunnyvale
Osvaldo was born in Mexico City, where he spent the first ten years of his life. At the age of ten, he came to the United States and feels as though he has been able to adapt to American culture quite well. Osvaldo is currently a student at De Anza College, and is planning to transfer to San Jose State University in order to pursue a career in Environmental Studies. He believes that environmental issues are some of the most urgent and important issues we face as a society and global community. He wishes to work in environmental policy with the goal of reaching eco-equity for all communities.
Tsatsral
Oakland
Tsatsral was born and raised in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. When she first arrived in the United States, she did not speak any English. She remembers reading a lot of books to learn English fast. In 2006, she graduated as valedictorian of her high school. She went on to major in Architecture and minor in City and Regional Planning at the University of California, Berkeley. In May 2010, she received her Bachelor's of Arts in Architecture. Since graduation, Tsatsral not only works two jobs in order to help support her family, but has also become more involved in empowering the Mongolian community. She is a member of the Mongolian Student group MSNOA, and is currently their Education Committee Coordinator. Her future goal is to receive her Master's Degree in green, sustainable urban design and planning.
Valeria
East Palo Alto
Valeria was born in Michoacan, Mexico and came to the United States when she was thirteen years old. She came to live with one of her sisters and her family, while her mom stayed in Mexico. She entered middle school as a seventh grader without knowing anyone here in the US. Since she started school, however, Valeria always knew she wanted to pursue higher education. She wanted to be the first one in her family to go to college, and with the support of people who believed in her, she was encouraged to follow her dreams. During her sophomore year, Valeria's mother passed away -- a time that she would say was one of the hardest in her life. Yet she continued to persevere and was accepted to many universities upon graduating from high school. She decided, however, to go to community college because it was the best option financially. She is now a third year student at Foothill College, and is looking forward to transferring to a four-year university this fall.
Yaquelin
Richmond
Yaquelin was born in Mexico and raised in California. Despite being raised here, she faced many struggles as an immigrant, from separation of her family to not having a father. Growing up, Yaquelin was always the first to raise her hand in class and wanted the best grades in the family. As a teenager she played many sports, but her favorite was soccer. It was through getting involved with student government clubs that she discovered that helping others is what she enjoyed doing the most. Yaquelin turned into a school health advocate and a leader in her church. She currently has a part-time job to be able to pay for college where she is pursuing her Associate's Degree in psychology. Her long-term goal is to major in Political Science at her dream university: UC Santa Barbara.
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