I support college and university partnerships in Illinois by helping partners improve completion outcomes for low-income, black and Latinx students. My team provides our partners with high impact professional development and exemplary connections throughout academia to help create equity-driven solutions.

I believe we must do our part to increase the economic mobility of historically disadvantaged populations so they can have family sustaining wages and ultimately develop intergenerational wealth. This can be achieved through educational attainment, the most impactful economic engine which can drive change.

I got here from the hard work of my parents who grew up in poverty and their support for pursuing education. I got here by caring about populations who struggle to financially support their families. I am here to end generational poverty and help families thrive through education.

I help design strategies, coordinate professional learning opportunities for staff and faculty, and provide coaching supports to our college and university partners to help them achieve equitable outcomes. I also serve as the point person for ILEA on Summit, Equity Institute, Equity Circles for Change, PDP and Newsletter.

I believe we have an obligation to create student-ready institutions to support today’s students. We need to shift our thinking and focus policies and practices with an equity lens for all students, especially Black, Latinx and low-income so that their path to completion is clearly defined and supported.

I spent 30 years working in HE across all sectors and areas such as advising, enrollment management, transfer student services and one stop services before coming to the PCC. I have been with the ILEA Initiative since the start, am a former CC student and a proud Bradley University alum.

As part of the College and University Partnerships team, I bring my depth of direct student services, social justice education, and other professional experiences to bear on guiding higher education teams toward centering Black, Latinx, and economically-disadvantaged students in their decision-making. I curate learning and development opportunities driven by evidence-based practices and institutional gaps in serving students appropriately.

The work of interrupting the systemic exclusion of economically-disadvantaged and racial-minoritized communities is ongoing. The stories shared among the students that our nonprofit strives to uplift resonate with me on a personal level. I choose to engage the work of equity and organizational change because our students throughout Illinois deserve better.

My village of support has origins in my hometown of San Antonio, Texas, and extends across the country. As a proud Mexican American with parents who never earned a college degree, my journey toward PCC was nonlinear and supported by a legacy of hard work, resilience, and love.

As the Equity Program Manager, I implement equity-centered coaching and support to our college and university partners that are working on institutional change to ensure equitable outcomes for students, faculty, and staff. I facilitate professional opportunities to promote a community of practice that promotes evidence based practices to advance equity in higher education.

I have seen firsthand the detrimental effects of structural racism and inequities that hinder the educational and social advancement of diverse first generation college students and the BIPOC community. At PCC, I have the opportunity to work towards equity and justice in higher education while having a greater impact in society. 

I earned a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. My work has focused on improving the campus racial climate for diverse students while offering them holistic advising to reach their aspirations. As a proud Latina and a TRIO Alumni, my passion is to advance racial and socioeconomic equity for diverse first generation college students.