My Identities

Latina, McNair Scholar and Sister of ΣΩΝ

As a Latina, I grew up with the values of family, hard work, and education. My family comes from a small town in Mexico where education was not a priority because it does not bring food to the table like a job. Coming to the United States meant a new beginning for our family, starting with me as the oldest sibling. As I go through life, I try to pave a path for my younger sibling and help him not go through the struggles me and my parents went through. 

When I started college I was lost, but I knew I wanted to do research in Marine Science. It wasn’t until my third year of college when I received the title of Ronald E. McNair Fellow and Undergraduate Research Opportunity Center (UROC) scholar. This is a two-year seminar program that focuses on the students who want to receive their Ph.D. and get experience doing research. With this program, I am able to build skills needed for higher education and make me competitive for graduate school. Since starting the program I have identified myself as a scholar through my cohort classes and summer research project which was completed in 2020 with my mentor Dr. Corey Garza. 

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Alongside my McNair Scholar achievement, I became a proud sister of Sigma Omega Nu. As of right now, I am currently the Vice President/Academic Chair of my sorority. I am in charge of all active member's academics such as GPA and semester grades, as well as providing all members with workshops for professional development and substance abuse. This organization has allowed me to become a leader within the members and refine my professional development skills.