AHSIE 2023
Scholarship Recipients
Jose Villagomez
Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with an Emphasis in Criminology and a minor in Business Administration
Adams State University
Jose Villagomez from Adams State University (ASU) in Alamosa, Colorado is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with an Emphasis in Criminology and a minor in Business Administration. He maintains a 3.35 cumulative GPA. He currently serves as the Associated Students & Faculty Student Body President, Student Trustee to ASU’s Board of Trustees, Grizzly Activities Board Marketing Coordinator, and General Manager for the campus radio station. As a first generation Dual Citizen Mexican-American college student, Jose is the first in his family to attend college and will be graduating one year early. Jose hopes to pursue a career in law enforcement. With his expertise in Sociology and bilingual skills, Jose hopes to make ethical decisions while helping protect the lives of others. In his free time, Jose enjoys hanging out with friends and family as well as traveling. He wishes to thank all of his professors, advisors, and most importantly his family. Without the support from his mom and dad he would not have been able to attend college. It is because of them that makes Jose, who he is today; a loving, caring, and respectful individual.
Misty Terrero-Gonzalez
Associates in Mathematics
My name is Misty Terrero, I identify as a First-Generation Latina pursuing a higher education in STEM. I am completing my Associates in Mathematics and then will continue for a Biomedical Engineering Bachelors with a Mechanical Engineering concentration. I come from a community where 59.7% identify as Hispanic. Of those 59.7% I have had the opportunity to interact and get to know on a personal level by sharing the love for my mothers cooking. Over a plate of steaming tamales or menudo, I recognized the lack of health resources those in my community have access to without the fear of their immigration status being a risk factor. Along being able to get a new perspective on medicine, I witnessed the following generation may too have to face those barriers. A generation I once was a part of.
I intend to study Internal Medicine and use my knowledge from Biomedical Engineering to find more cost efficient mobility aids for communities as my own. In relation, I do plan to continue with my education and make an impact in the only form I confidently know how to: aiding others.
Sally Najera Romero
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Sally Najera Romero is a first-generation Latina student who is passionate about serving her community as an educator and librarian. She has dedicated herself to providing students with a sense of belonging and promote cultural responsiveness within higher education, specifically in the classroom and the library. Her research interests include faculty sense of belonging, librarians of color, first-generation students and Latinx students within higher education.
As a child of parents that migrated from Yucatán, Mexico to Los Angeles, California, Sally understands the challenges and obstacles that many students face as first-generation college students in every academic level- undergraduate, graduate, and now, doctoral. She is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment where all students feel valued and supported. As a proud Latina with indigenous Maya roots, she incorporates her own cultural background into her teaching, using it as a tool to connect with her students and help them learn.
Sally is also involved in various campus community initiatives that support the education and well-being of Latinx students. She is a fierce advocate for education equity and is dedicated to ensuring that all students have access to the resources and opportunities they need to succeed. With her passion and dedication, Sally is making a positive impact on her students and her community. As an empowering agent, she is an example of the power of education to change lives and make a difference.
Mariana Pasillas
Journalism and Public Relations
Palo Alto College
Mariana Pasillas is in her second year at Palo Alto College studying Journalism and Public Relations. After completing her two years at community college, she aspires to transfer to University of Texas at Austin to receive her bachelors. Mariana is a first generation college student and first generation Mexican-American paving the way for her younger nephews and nieces. She strongly believes that bridging the path to higher education for Latine folk and first generation students is key for a better future. Mariana aims to one day return to a higher education setting as a professional to encourage other Latine folk to reach for the stars.
At a young age, Mariana understood the importance of civic involvement. She grew up observing the fear of speaking up in her community. This is why she, with the help of Jolt Action, founded the only civic engagement organization on campus. She works tirelessly to ensure that students and community members become informed voters and to eliminate barriers of fear and hopelessness in her community.
Mariana would like to thank all the strong women in her life for teaching her that with a bit of courage and grit, even her wildest dreams are possible.
Valentina Priscilla Rodriguez
B.S. in Biology with an emphasis on Cell and Molecular and a minor in German
San Diego State University
Valentina Priscilla Rodriguez (she/her/ella) is a fourth-year, pre-medical, first-generation Latina student at San Diego State University (SDSU). She is pursuing a bachelor of science degree in Biology with an emphasis on Cell and Molecular and a minor in German. She is also a cancer research scholar (SDSU/UCSD Partnership Scholar Program) at Moores Cancer Center UC San Diego Health with Dr. Adam Burgoyne. The research objective relies on culturing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) organoids and seeing the molecular profiling responses to pharmaceutical therapies in Hispanic and Non-Hispanic HCC patients. During her undergraduate years, she has been involved in many club organizations at school, focusing on advocating for student success in minority groups. It goes without notice that there is a lack of pre-med Latina students at universities, and she wishes to change this, as it causes self-doubt, estrangement, and imposter syndrome. By being in leadership positions in pre-health organizations, she has been able to organize and manage free mobile clinics for the Latino communities in Mexico and South America. She encourages more Spanish-speaking individuals by offering free medical Spanish terminology classes at SDSU that will aid pre-health students in communicating with the Latino population. Her goal involves having more Latino or Spanish-speaking doctors that will ultimately discard language and cultural barriers that affect patient treatment outcomes in hospitals. By spreading awareness of the lack of Hispanic doctor representation, she hopes to invoice the challenges and resources that exist for minority groups to reach higher education. In the future, she envisions herself as being a bridge to connect the Latino community in the United States to make the Latino community feel more welcome and comfortable.