El Puente Graduate Research Fellows

Ana Paula was born and raised in Quito, Ecuador. Seven years ago, she came to the United States to pursue her Bachelor’s degree in Statistics and Economics at the University of New Mexico (UNM). In 2023, Ana earned her MA in Economics and she is now a PhD candidate. She currently works as a research assistant for the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, focusing on the economic aspects of risky health behavior. She is also a research assistant for the Center for Social Policy, where she analyzes the effectiveness of health-related policies at both state and federal levels.

Research Statement: Ana’s work specializes in applied microeconomics with a focus in the intersection between health and public economics. Within this field, her current research centers on examining the impact of “sin” taxes as a measure to address excessive consumption patterns and mitigate the adverse effects associated with products such as alcohol and sugary-sweetened beverages.

Areas of Research: Applied microeconomics, health economics, public economics, labor economics, applied econometrics, and Latin American economics.

Mentoring Philosophy: During her time at UNM, Ana discovered her passion for helping students while working in different student affairs positions. As a New Student Orientation Leader, Resident Advisor, Student Hall Coordinator, and Vice President of the Associated Students of the University of New Mexico (ASUNM), she learned that students always come first. Ana firmly believes that every student deserves opportunities like those provided by El Puente. She is committed to the idea that all students have the potential to succeed, and as a mentor, her goal is to guide them through this process and show them the hidden curriculum of academia. Ana views mentors as essential resources for students, offering not just academic support but also personal and emotional guidance. Having navigated the challenges of conducting research and applying to graduate school herself, she understands the difficulties students face. Ana is dedicated to helping others through these challenges. Through mentorship, she aims to form meaningful connections with students at El Puente, ensuring they feel a sense of belonging in academia and at the university.

I am from San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, México. I am the fifth of seven children. I am in graduate school thanks to my mother quien nos ha dado todo lo que temenos. Ten years ago, mi jefita decided to cross the border and move to the United States, searching for a better future for us. We established ourselves to a small town in the San Luis Valley, Center Colorado. I am a son of a migrant, seasonal and temporary farmworker. I was astonished, confused, and sorrowful for leaving mi familia y amigos and I had to start high school again, plus learn a new language and culture while suffering discrimination, racism, and xenophobia. However, my mother and sister, together with my ESL teacher and staff in the Migrant Education Program me respaldaron para continuar mi educación, seguir adelante. I attended Adams State University as a scholar for the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP), which provided me academic, social, and financial support to succeed. Además se convirtieron en mi familia, me dieron un sense of belongingness and empowerment que lo sostengo firme. I am currently a PhD student representando a mi gente and saying loud and proud SI SE PUEDE.

Research Statement: My passion for advocating, supporting, and representing migrant and immigrant students led me to join CAMP professionally after graduating college. Even though I was fulfilling my dream of helping my people attain higher education, the reality is that I keep observing the same patterns of educational, social, and economic inequities in all the neighborhoods. My aspiration to pursue a graduate degree is to be able to academically, professionally, and socially assist underserved groups that tend to be ignored. The areas of specialization that I am passionate about and appeal to me are migrant, seasonal, and temporary farmworkers and immigration. I would like to investigate, analyze, and identify the factors that maintain the maltreatment, oppression, and discrimination against these marginalized groups, as well as the approaches that can successfully support and empower them. To address these inquiries, I conduct qualitative research to bring the experiences, stories, and viewpoints of migrant, seasonal, and temporary farmworkers and immigrant people and their families.

Areas of Reasearch: Race and Ethnicity, Gender, Migrant Farmworkers, Immigration, Intersectional Studies, Education, Critical Race Theory, Latino Youth Outcomes

Mentoring Philosophy: My philosophy of working with underrepresented students is through a pedagogy of decolonizing epistemology. I encourage students to share their experiences, knowledge, and ideas as valid, meaningful, and valuable. Even though academia is under the control of Eurocentric colonial epistemology that oppresses and dismisses marginalized scholars, particularly those who do not fit the white male cisgender body, I dismantle such narratives that create a hierarchy that classifies, differentiates, and separates people from their communities, background, and culture. I highlight the importance of the positionality of each person in constructing and producing knowledge and ignorance. Marginalized students should not be molded or changed in order to become scholars; marginalized students, as they are, with their culture, experiences, ideas, and background, are scholars who carry generational and personal knowledge. They do not need to disassociate themselves from their identity because that helps them see the things happening in their communities and the world.

Jaqueline was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. Her father and maternal grandparents are immigrants from Nayarit, Mexico. After graduating high school, she attended the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). As an undergraduate, she held many leadership roles such as an orientation guide, resident assistant, writing consultant, and McNair Scholar. In 2023, she graduated with a double major in English Literature and Sociology from UNR. After receiving her bachelor’s degree, she was accepted into the PhD sociology program at University of New Mexico and is now entering her 2nd year. She currently works as a graduate assistant in the sociology department. Jaqueline considers herself a creative person, as she enjoys crafting paper flowers, crocheting, and making vinyl stickers. She is also a dancer ranging in styles from bachata, cumbia, hip hop, to K-pop and even teaches contemporary dance.

Research Statement: Jaqueline’s research focuses on how Mexican women’s identities of gender, ethnicity and immigrant status shape their conceptualizations of mental health. Using interviews with Mexican immigrant women, she uses participants' own stories and experiences to speak for themself within the research, giving power back to the community.

Areas of Research: Latine Studies, Sociology of Immigration, Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, Decolonial Mental Health, Intersectionality Studies

Mentoring Philosophy: Jaqueline’s mentoring philosophy focuses on a student centered approach emphasizing student agency. She believes that students should shape their own goals in their learning and are capable of influencing the practices of academia. She understands that the hidden curriculum can be a barrier for students and believes that to combat barriers, sharing knowledge and insights from personal experience will help students navigate the often unspoken rules and expectations of academia. With that, she believes creating a compassionate and empathetic environment helps students feel comfortable seeking help and building relationships with others. Providing emotional support is key in transitioning roles, such as becoming a student researcher. Lastly, Jaqueline believes in fostering a nurturing community among students to provide spaces to connect with each other and mentors.

I was born and raised in the Los Angeles area of Southern California. I received my Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley and my Master of Science in Human Skeletal Biology from New York University. While in New York, I taught Forensic Anthropology at NYU as well as Forensic Anthropology and Forensic Science at Brooklyn College, where I discovered a joy in working with and teaching undergraduates. I am a rising second year PhD student in the Evolutionary Anthropology program at UNM with a focus in forensic anthropology. As a graduate student I work at the Office of the Medical Investigator (OMI) where I assist with forensic anthropology casework. I am also a research assistant on a joint NSF project with Texas State, the Migrant Mortality Mapping Portal Project (M3P2), where we have been working on creating an open-access web portal that documents migrant deaths along the US-Mexico border. Reflecting on my academic journey and achievements to date, I cannot help but credit my parents. Their unconditional support and unwavering encouragement have provided me with the determination to persevere.

Research Statment: My research is rooted in my desire to help the Latin American community. The US faces a migration crisis along its southern border, driven by conflicts abroad and internal migration policies. For years, migrants have risked their lives crossing harsh terrain to enter the US. Recent policy changes have led to increased migration and an unknown number of migrant deaths. In the last year, New Mexico has seen a drastic increase in their migrant caseload. My work focuses on tracking these deaths and improving forensic anthropology methods to aid the identification and return of these individuals to their loved ones.

Areas of research: Biological anthropology, forensic anthropology, population affinity, identification of migrants along the Mexico-US border, histology

Mentoring Philosophy: My mentoring philosophy derives from my personal experiences in higher education. As I navigated my undergraduate and graduate career, I often felt out of place in unfamiliar spaces. The isolation stemmed from a tangible distance from my family and community and a lack of understanding of academia's inner workings. With the help of my mentors, I learned how to navigate these feelings and the academic sphere, now feeling more confident in the space I am taking. Through a compassionate approach, my goal is to make my mentees feel supported throughout their time at UNM and beyond, providing them with a toolkit to persevere in the face of adversity. I aim to communicate their sense of belonging in their academic space, giving them the confidence to draw from their lived experiences, which have likely shaped their research interests and academic and personal goals. I strongly believe that mentors can alter the academic and personal trajectories of their mentees, and I hope to serve as a positive role model and resource for mine.