Graduate Student Fellows Biographies

2025 Fellows

Danielle Aguilar
School of Education
University of Colorado, Boulder

Danielle Nicole Aguilar (she/her) is the granddaughter of Mirna Prieto, Maria del Refugia Aguilar, Jose Prieto, and Rafael Aguilar. She is the proud daughter of Lorraine Y. Velasquez and Antonio Aguilar. Hailing from Ontario, California, Danielle comes from a working-class family with three siblings (Daniel, Domonique, and Anthony) and is a happy tia/auntie to many nieces and nephews. Danielle studied Feminist Studies and Black Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara as a Pell Grant recipient and first-generation college student. Following graduation, she enrolled at the University of Vermont, earning a master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration.

Danielle was a leader in residential life, orientation, multicultural affairs and LGBTQ student services before pursuing a PhD in Educational Foundations, Policy and Practice at the University of Colorado Boulder. Danielle employs critical theory and community-based research approaches to disrupt the relationship between carcerality and youth. Danielle aspires to be a tenured professor at a minority serving institution to uplift and mentor young scholars. When she’s not doing transformative research, Danielle enjoys the tastiness of being a foodie, vibing at concerts, and embarking on adventures. 

Cydney Caradonna
Educational Leadership and Policy
University of Utah 

Cydney Y. Caradonna is a queer Latinx scholar, activist, and poet originally from California’s Bay Area. She currently lives in the Salt Lake Valley and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership in Policy at the University of Utah. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish from the University of California, Merced and Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration and Leadership from California State University, Fresno. Her scholarly praxis explores the systems and potential ruptures that inform a de/carceral ethos for higher education. Caradonna’s poetry centers the similar tensions to her academic work and research and experiences along multiple systems of marginalization and how we unsettle those systems by speaking back to them. Specifically, Caradonna’s poetry publications and performances have featured lived experiences at the intersection of her Queer and Latinx identities. Cydney currently works as the Graduate Research Assistant for the Research Collaborative on Higher Education in Prison and supports programming for the Utah Prison Education Project.  Cydney is additionally one of the founding members and current Graduate Fellow for the Black Feminist Eco Lab in the School of Cultural and Social Transformation at the University of Utah.

Joselin Castillo
American Studies
University of New Mexico 

Joselin is a first-generation college student from Los Angeles. As a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow at California State University, Los Angeles, she situated her family history into research. As the daughter of a single Guatemalan migrant mother, her research focuses on mothering practices and women’s labor of the Central American diaspora. Earning her Masters of Arts in Latin American Studies, her work titled “Central American Women in the Workforce” analyzed the public perceptions of women in transnational labor forces in film, art, and news media. Now earning her interdisciplinary Ph.D. in American Studies, drawing from archival work, ethnography, and visual culture, she plans to explore anti-immigration rhetoric, immigration policy, and the ways in which Central American diasporic families navigate immigrant imaginaries in the U.S through these methods.

Allison Martinez Mejia
Biomedical Engineering
Washington University in St Louis 

Allison Nicole Martinez Mejia was born and raised in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. She moved to the United States to pursue a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering at Florida International University, where she completed her degree in just three years. During her time there, she joined the Coulter Undergraduate Research Excellence (CURE) Program, developing computational mathematical models to simulate the relationship between brain vasculature and neuronal activity.

Currently, Allison is pursuing her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, where she simultaneously earned her M.S. in the same field.  Her research focuses on using novel optical imaging techniques to study neurological diseases in animal models. Driven by the need for biomarkers that might shed light on the reversibility of neuronal dysfunction during the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's.  She investigates changes in cellular energy metabolism in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Allison's work could be important to help determine potential candidates for treatment. Beyond her research, Allison is passionate about creating spaces for historically underserved groups. She serves on the executive board of SACNAS/GALNACS and institutional DEI committees, advocating for greater inclusion and representation in academic and professional settings. In her free time, she enjoys nail art, writing poetry, and making lattes.

Gerson Moreno Romero
Biomedical Engineering
Washington University in St. Louis 

Gerson Moreno Romero (He/Him/El) was born in El Salvador and raised in the Broward-Miami area of Florida. As a first-generation college graduate, he earned his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Florida International University and found his passion for neural engineering research while working as a Coulter Undergraduate Researcher.

Gerson is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in Biomedical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. He is working to understand neural circuits in the spinal cord to leverage their adaptive nature to develop rehabilitative therapies to help individuals with motor and sensory deficits resulting from spinal cord injury. To support underrepresented groups in higher education, he serves as part of the SACNAS student chapter executive board and as a mentor for the undergraduates in the neuroscience REU. Outside of academics he enjoys spending time in nature, painting with watercolors, connecting with his communities, and traveling. 

Ariana Ordonez
Joint Doctoral Program/Educational Leadership
University of California, San Diego and California State University, San Marcos 

Ariana’s background has deeply influenced her academic pursuits. As a student in a joint doctoral program at UCSD and CSUSM, she is dedicated to understanding and addressing the persistent achievement gap between Latinx students and their peers by studying culturally proficient school counseling and its impact on Latinx educational attainment. She aims to increase Latinx educational attainment, driven by her desire to open doors of opportunity for underserved and marginalized communities.

Raised by her mother, an immigrant from El Salvador, in a low socioeconomic community in Los Angeles, Ariana learned the value of hard work and perseverance. Ariana is a first-generation college graduate who overcame numerous barriers yet continues to beam with resilience and determination. She earned a bachelor’s in psychology at UCLA and a master’s in educational counseling at ULV, demonstrating her commitment to academic and professional growth.

Working in education the past 10 years has shown her that representation in education matters. It increases feelings of belonging and supports a positive learning environment. Therefore, Ariana is set out to prepare, support, and advance the Latinx community through education, being that it is the most effective way to get them to participate in, lead, and influence our democratic society.

Derrick Pacheco
Higher Education
Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
Florida State University 

Derrick Raphael Pacheco (he/him/his/el) is a proud first-generation Cuban-American, college graduate, and doctoral candidate from Hialeah, Florida. Derrick is a 4th year Ph.D. candidate in the Higher Education program at Florida State University. Derrick has received a Master of Science in Higher Education, a Bachelor of Science in Marketing, a Bachelor of Science in Management, and two graduate certificates in Program Evaluation and Multicultural Marketing Communication all from Florida State University.

Derrick is passionate about leadership education and serves as a Graduate Assistant in the Leadership Learning Research Center where he is responsible for teaching in the Undergraduate Certificate in Leadership Studies, specifically their Latinx Leadership Development Course. Derrick’s dissertation explores the ways that Caribbean Hispanics develop their leader identity at historically white institutions. Additionally, Derrick is an avid volunteer in local and national organizations and research centers and is actively presenting at national conferences about leadership education, student affairs, and multicultural marketing. Derrick is passionate about educational access and equity through culturally relevant practices and strives to showcase this in his research and teaching. In his free time, you can find Derrick binging his favorite reality television shows with a Diet Coke in hand.

Lucia Quezada
Counseling Psychology
University of Georgia 

Lucia Quezada (she/her/ella) is a queer, first-generation college student, and daughter of Mexican immigrants from Chihuahua, México with Rarámuri descendance. She is a fourth-year doctoral candidate in Counseling Psychology at the University of Georgia. Her research focuses on the multifaceted domains of Latiné feminism and its intersections with mental health outcomes. She aims to deepen understanding of how cultural and sociopolitical factors shape identity development and inform Latiné feminist values.

Lucia has clinical experience working across various settings, including a community mental health clinic, university counseling center, medical settings, and a carceral facility. She provides bilingual (Spanish) therapy, focusing on complex trauma and identity development throughout the lifespan.

Lucia earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology with minors in photography and Chinese from Southern Methodist University (’18) and a master’s in clinical psychology with a concentration in research methods from Teachers College, Columbia University (’20).

Outside of her professional and academic work, Lucia enjoys painting, drawing, studying languages, and spending time with loved ones. She is passionate about using her research and clinical skills to contribute to the advancement of Latiné communities and promote culturally informed mental health care.

Irene Richardson
Biochemistry
University of Nevada - Reno 

Irene Richardson, from the suburbs of Washington, D.C., is pursuing a PhD in Biochemistry at the University of Nevada, Reno, researching the immunological effects of tocolytics in treating preterm birth. With a background in nutritional science, she aims to combine her knowledge of nutrition and biochemistry to address reproductive health challenges, particularly in the Latin community, and contribute to better maternal and fetal health outcomes.

Passionate about bridging the gap between higher education and the local Latin community, Irene is dedicated to addressing health disparities, especially those affecting pregnant Latinas. Her advocacy focuses on improving access to health literacy, healthcare, and prenatal care for minority groups. Irene is also committed to inspiring the next generation of Latin scientists. She has partnered with local educators in Reno to develop science lessons in microbiology, nutrition, and reproductive health (under development) to encourage Hispanic students, particularly young women, to pursue careers in STEM.

Through the AAHHE fellowship, Irene hopes to broaden her impact, learn from fellow Latina/o/x scholars, and further her mission to improve health outcomes and educational opportunities for the Latin community.

Marina Rodriguez
Higher Education Student Affairs Leadership
University of Northern Colorado 

Marina Rodriguez is from San Diego, CA. She is currently working on her dissertation at the University of Northern Colorado. She is pursuing a Ph.D. in Higher Education and Student Affairs Leadership (HESAL) with a minor in Applied Statistics and Research Methods (ASRM). Her research focuses on high school senior Latina students’ motivations and aspirations to attend higher education after graduating high school. She examines two groups of high school students, focusing on students in the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program and non-AVID students. A long-term career goal is to gain exposure to higher education administrative roles that help empower and advocate for Latinx/a/o/é students. Marina also hopes to contribute to research and serve in research administration positions. Marina completed her bachelor’s degrees in Sociology and Feminist Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). She then attained her M.A. degree in Psychology at Antioch University, Santa Barbara (AUSB). Marina is a first-generation college student.

Sol Thomas
Education
University of St. Thomas, Houston

Sol Macias-Thomas has a B.A. in Spanish and an M.S. in Criminal Justice. Sol is currently a doctoral student at the University of St. Thomas’ strategic leadership program-criminal justice pathway. Sol has 15 years of experience conducting civil and criminal investigations dealing with interpersonal violence, child abuse, and sexual assault. Sol currently serves as a criminal justice adjunct instructor at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas, and has been teaching for the past three years. 

Melanece Wesley
Social Work
Howard University 

Melanece Wesley, a Puerto Rican Afro-Latina from Boston, MA, is a Ph.D. student and adjunct professor in Social Work at Howard University, focusing on mental health equity, health disparities, and the ethical application of Artificial Intelligence (AI). She holds Master and Bachelor of Social Work degrees from the University of South Florida. Wesley has a strong background in behavioral health advocacy and education. As a Behavioral Health Ambassador for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), she played a pivotal role in designing and delivering educational programs that empowered undergraduate students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to pursue careers in behavioral health. She also served as a behavioral health manager providing therapeutic services for a monthly caseload of over 80 patients. Her research interests lie at the intersection of AI, ethics, and equity, particularly within Afro-Latine identity and mental health. As a member of the AI Institute for Societal Decision-Making, Wesley contributes to research on AI risk communication. She is actively involved in scholarly work, including a systematic review on the experiences of Afro-Latinos at HBCUs. A recognized leader, she is also a member of the AI-SDM Student Leadership Council and Howard Universities Graduate Research Committee.

2024 Fellows

Nancy Camarillo
Higher Education, Student Affairs, and International Education Policy
University of Maryland, College Park 

Nancy Camarillo (she/ella) is from Los Angeles, CA; currently residing in Tacoma, Washington. Nancy is the proud daughter of immigrants from El Salvador and Mexico and the youngest of six siblings. She was raised in a household that centered community uplift which has guided her professional journey. Nancy currently serves as assistant director for professional development with the Center for First-generation Student Success at NASPA. Additionally, she serves as a research assistant and editorial assistant for the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice through the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD). Her professional experiences include DEI programming, academic retention services, sorority and fraternity life, student organization advising, and first-year experience. Nancy is currently working toward her Ph.D. in higher education, student affairs, and international education policy from UMD. Her research agenda focuses on interrogating the monolithic assumptions within Latinx/o/s diaspora with a focus on multiethnic identity. Her research interests also include examining the experiences of first-generation Latinx/a/o student affairs early career professionals in their socialization process into the field. She earned a B.A. in political science from California Lutheran University and a M.S.in higher education administration from California State University, Fullerton. She is a proud first-generation college graduate.

Mitzi Ceballos
Writing and Rhetoric
University of Utah

Mitzi Ceballos was born and raised in Boise, Idaho, and is a daughter of Mexican immigrants. She is also a sister, comadre, former McNair Scholar, and proud Chicana. After completing a bachelor’s degree from Boise State University, and a Master’s from Washington State University, she now finds herself a PhD candidate in Writing and Rhetoric at the University of Utah. Her dissertation uses decolonial theory and archival methodology to examine the mutation of settler colonialism’s structural logics to white supremacy, and the effects of those logics in Idahoan communities, land, and memory. As a writing instructor, Mitzi uses local settler archives and non-Western rhetorical tradition to uproot students’ understandings of writing and identity in the hopes that her students of color can grow and learn on their terms. In the future, Mitzi hopes to expand her research to include archival collections in Mexico, and to join the professoriate.

Olga Correa
Educational Policy, Research, and Administration
University of Massachusetts, Amherst 

Olga M. Correa (she/her/ella) is a first-generation student, education scholar, and daughter of Colombian and Venezuelan immigrant parents. She has dedicated her career to improving college access, retention, and success for first-generation and students of color in secondary and post-secondary education.

Olga is also a Ph.D. Candidate in Educational Leadership at the University of Massachusetts Amherst where her community-engaged research focuses on contemporary school segregation in K-12 public schools. She is committed to working alongside families and youth to challenge and dismantle educational policies and practices that uphold racial discrimination.

Olga holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from William Paterson University (‘12) and a Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from UMass Amherst (‘14).

Isaac Felix
Berkeley School of Education
University of California, Berkeley 

Isaac Félix (he/him/his) is a fourth-year doctoral student at UC Berkeley’s School of Education. Originally from Tijuana, Baja California, México, he grew up crossing the border daily to attend public schools in San Diego. Isaac attended UCLA and earned a bachelor’s degree in Human Biology and Society and Chicana/o Studies. Prior to pursuing his doctoral studies, Isaac worked as a middle school after-school program educator; interned for the California Department of Education; and served as the Faculty Diversity Center Coordinator at UC Davis’ Vice Chancellor’s Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Currently, Isaac’s research interests are concerned with the educational experiences and possibilities of transfronterizx youth: (most often) U.S. citizens living in Mexican border cities who cross the Mexico-U.S. border daily to attend U.S. schools. Particularly, how transfronterizx high school students negotiate and make sense of highly dynamic and contested spatial ecologies across the Tijuana-San Diego border region. Most recently, Isaac’s work was recognized by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, where he was awarded the Ford Foundation’s Pre-Doctoral Fellowship in 2022. Outside research, Isaac is passionate about educational justice and intergenerational mentorship for the next generation of students from non-dominant communities.

Veronica Gonzalez
Social Ecology
University of California - Irvine 

Veronica Valencia Gonzalez (they/she) is a social ecology doctoral candidate at the University of California, Irvine. Veronica is the eldest of six children born to Liduvina and Salvador Gonzalez, who immigrated from Mexico and worked as agricultural laborers in the Central Coast of California. Veronica's background and a non-traditional path to higher education are part of why they are passionate advocates for inclusive pedagogy and policies in higher education. Veronica attended the University of California, Irvine (UCI) for undergraduate studies, graduating in 2017 with Criminology, Law & Society, and Psychology & Social Behavior degrees. Their interdisciplinary, qualitative, and community-engaged approach seeks to include the voices and opinions of community members. Currently, Veronica's dissertation investigates the implications of colonial legacies and globalization on gender-based violence in rural communities of Michoacán.

Jose Gutierrez
Sociology
University of California, Irvine 

Jose Gutierrez is a first-generation college graduate from Montebello, CA. He is currently a 4th Ph.D. student in the Department of Sociology at the University of California, Irvine. He received his B.A. in Sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he was a McNair Scholar. Before transferring to UCSB, he attended East Los Angeles College and earned his IGETC transfer certification. As an undergraduate at UCSB, he worked in several student support positions, including as a peer mentor for the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Office, a residential assistant for the Educational Opportunity Program’s summer transfer transition program, and a student mentor at the St. George Youth Center. His current research uses qualitative methods and an intersectional lens to explore how working-class and middle-class Latina/o community college students’ pathways to and through community college are shaped by the raced, classed, and gendered inequalities that define their broader transition to adulthood.

Armando Lizarraga
Educational Leadership and Policy
The University of Texas at Austin 

A native of Inglewood, California, Armando Lizarraga is a third-year higher education leadership and policy doctoral student at The University of Texas at Austin (UT). He is a graduate research assistant for Project MALES (Mentoring to Achieve Latino Educational Success), a policy fellow in higher education in prisons for Texas Appleseed, and the director of pedagogy and practice with Texas Prison Education Initiative.

Armando’s research focuses on understanding reentry effects of participating in prison education programs for minoritized students, also analyzing how students make sense of learning in a carceral setting. Through this work, he aims to improve and maintain the quality and equity of higher education for incarcerated students.

Armando earned an Associate of Arts in general studies from El Camino College, a Bachelor of Arts in Chicana/o studies and sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Master of Arts in higher and postsecondary education from Teachers College, Columbia University. 

Gabriel Pulido
Higher Education, African American and Diaspora Studies, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Pennsylvania State University 

Gabriel Pulido was born and raised in Sacramento, California, and first became involved with creative writing in the youth poetry slam scene. While at UC Santa Cruz Gabriel utilized classroom lessons to fuel his creative writing endeavors. Currently, he is a fifth-year doctoral candidate in Higher Education (with a double minor in African American and Diaspora Studies & Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies) at the Pennsylvania State University. Gabriel considers himself to be a transdisciplinary scholar whose work often travels across multiple fields. Ultimately, Gabriel seeks to perform the work while honoring the rich histories and legacies that scholar activist have fought for. Presently, Gabriel has three lines of research commitments: 1. Artistic Performance and Retention in Higher Education 2. Mentorship, Relationality, and Belonging and 3. Arts based methodologies and activism in social science research. Gabriel’s academic and creative writing often intersect and find a home at the center of healing. Gabriel considers himself a conjurer of joy, love, and resilience, as he uses both creative and academic writing to work toward collective liberation. When not writing, Gabriel can be found near a body of water dreaming of becoming just as free.

Stephanie Ramos
Science Education
Oregon State University 

Stephanie Ramos, a native Texan and a first-generation college graduate, is driven by her dedication to promoting the success of underrepresented and marginalized students pursuing science degrees in higher education. Stephanie initially attended community college at South Plains College and received her BS in Chemistry from Texas Tech University. She holds an MSc in Inorganic Chemistry from OSU and is currently pursuing a PhD in Science Education at OSU. Her research focus is centered on enhancing institutional support and best practices for historically excluded community college students in STEM engaging in undergraduate research.

As the Associate Director of Undergraduate Research at Oregon State University (OSU), Stephanie plays an active role in supporting students at every level, adeptly guiding them through their initial experiences into undergraduate research. Having been mentored herself during her undergraduate journey, Stephanie now finds joy in mentoring and guiding students as they embark on their own educational paths. Stephanie's commitment to academic excellence extends beyond her studies, as she is an Associate Member of the Younger Chemists Committee for the American Chemical Society and a lifelong member of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS).

Avelina Rivero
Human Development and Family Science
University of Missouri 

Avelina Rivero is a first-generation Latina doctoral candidate in the Human Development and Family Science program at the University of Missouri. She is the daughter of a Mexican immigrant mother and a first-generation Mexican father. She is the oldest of five and is originally from Arizona. Her research focuses on Latinx families (parent-child and sibling relationships), culture, and health outcomes in Latina young women. Specifically, she examines how culture influences parent-adolescent and sibling relationships. She also explores how culture and family members (mothers, fathers, sisters) influence young women's body image and mental health outcomes. Through her research, she has gained a deeper understanding of her own lived experiences. She is committed to conducting innovative research that promotes optimal youth development and serving her Latinx community. With her research, she hopes to develop programming that will promote positive body image, mental health outcomes, and healthy family relationships. At MU, she leads a weekly writing group for womxn of color and serves on the IDE committee to improve inclusivity for students of color at her predominately white institution. Outside of her research, Avelina enjoys hiking, listening to vinyl, and spending time with her dogs and sisters, Maudi, Gali, and Bridi.

Stacey Speller
Educational Leadership & Policy Studies/Higher Education Leadership & Policy Studies
Howard University 

Stacey Speller, (she/her/ella) an “HBCU Nuyorican” scholar-practitioner, is committed to combatting anti-Black narratives impacting legislation for HBCUs and Black HSIs. Raised in The Bronx, she holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Great Bethune-Cookman University. Her research is shaped by her Black and Brown solidarity upbringing and culturally affirming HBCU education.

An Education Fellow for Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson’s office and research graduate assistant in Howard University’s Educational & Leadership Policy Studies program, Stacey is in her third year and embarking on her dissertation. Her research examines federal funding for dually designated HBCU HSIs, which is one of the first studies from an organizational perspective with the potential to influence national policy discussions about MSI funding to HBCUs and Black HSIs.

Stacey is a staunch social justice and inclusion advocate. She is in the early stages of beginning her nonprofit, HBCUorgullo, which would operationalize enrollment, retention, graduation, and alumni conexción between the Latiné community and HBCUs.

Stacey is a wife to her college sweetheart – Ben, and a mother of three – Brice, Selina, and Blake.

Jasmin Tobar
Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work
University of Southern California 

Jasmin Tobar was born in Los Angeles to a Salvadoran father and a Salvadoran and Honduran mother. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with an emphasis in Global Studies and Human Rights from Mount St. Mary's University in Los Angeles. She received her Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University, School of Social Work.  She grounds her social work practices on anti-oppression, abolition practice, and trauma-informed principles. During her time in New York City, she worked at the Roberto Clemente Family Guidance Center, where she worked as a psychotherapist intern with recently arrived immigrant families and youth. Jasmin’s research focuses on historical memory, oral history traditions, healing, and migration studies in the Central American community, which has a history of war, genocide, and forced displacement. Jasmin has over ten years of experience in nonprofit management, program evaluation, community organizing, and educational programs. She is also an adjunct Central American and Transborder Studies professor at California State University, Northridge. Jasmin is a doctoral candidate at the University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work.