Right after graduating, I started working in venture capital, with impact funds that invest in underrepresented founders. The environment at Cal Lutheran gave me the confidence to pursue my interests in venture capital, with a particular focus on supporting the Latino community.The strong presence of the Hispanic community at Cal Lutheran reinforced my desire to make an impact by deploying capital into Latino-owned businesses.
All the Spanish professors are super sweet and helpful no matter what your other majors are. Criminology and Criminal Justice is a major where you are well-supported by everyone in the department. I have met some of the best people in this major. There are also so many different areas in a psychology major that one can learn and study. It’s always something new.
Growing up in the disadvantaged and marginalized community of Nyeland Acres in Ventura County, I never saw women, let alone women of color, represented in the legal field. The lack of representation in my community left a profound impact on me and made me aware of the systemic barriers and biases that hinder minorities from pursuing their dreams. With a deep commitment to social justice and a desire to utilize the law as a tool for positive change, political science provides me with the necessary tools and perspectives to pursue a career dedicated to advancing justice and equality.
As a junior at Cal Lutheran, I was taking a class in Hispanic Literature, when my professor at the time, Dr. Rafaela Fiore, recognized the potential of my work and encouraged me to present my research in an academic conference. In the remainder of my time at Cal Lutheran, (the Spanish faculty) worked with me and motivated me to continue my research on Afro-Latin literature. That has now become the topic of my PhD dissertation.
My research experience (as a Pearson Scholar for Leadership and Engagement in Global Society under the guidance of Dr. Fiore Urízar) and my Spanish classes gave me skills to guide my career. My study intersected Literature, Art, and Sociology and has led me to excel in graduate school, publish academic articles, and work in art museums.
I feel both of my degrees have interesting courses as well as real-life applications for continuing my educational journey towards an MD, PhD, or both.
I chose environmental science because it is an interdisciplinary major where there are a plethora of skills you can learn. I wanted to study something highly applicable across many fields in STEM and humanities so I would get the best of both worlds. I love how I can decide if I want to study present issues like climate change or study past climates through research.
I found that the combination of my majors was helpful in my success during my internship. I would say that most of what I use in my current job derives from what I was able to learn and be a part of in both the criminal justice department and the Spanish department.
Sociology has helped broaden my understanding of society and how it has changed throughout the years as well as understanding why people’s behaviors and attitudes change. I wanted to stand out in my graduate school applications and what better than to major in my first language, Spanish.
I fell in love with street art while studying abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Working with Dr. Fiore, I decided to focus on Latinas making street art, and graffiti and muralism in Los Angeles.