Students

Andrea is a first-year, first-generation undocumented student. She was born in a town named Gomez in Chihuahua, Mexico but she was raised here in Albuquerque. She is a girl who is passionate about animal and human rights and fighting for what is right, even if it means others don't agree. She is also very passionate about art and differences within others, she thinks it makes each person extremely unique. She is very kind, outgoing, and humble, even though she can be shy at first, it's only because she's assessing her surroundings before she gets too comfortable. She loves helping others in need and putting others before herself. She also enjoys spending time with her parents and being able to help them translate things, so they don't feel overwhelmed or left out. She loves working with kids, hence her major, she wants to be able to be the teacher that every student needs and provide a safe environment for them.

Andrea is a First-generation undergrad student who always wanted to achieve success. Coming from immigrant parents, Andrea always wanted to make her parents proud. She is a very proud Mexican American from the South Valley here in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Growing up her life was filled with many trips to her parents' hometown in Durango, Mexico, and helped her grandmother feed her animals, birds, chickens, dogs, peacocks, and roosters. She loves to read, watch Formula 1, and her favorite show of all time is any of the power ranger series (even though it's a little dorky). She is a very creative person, always wanting to take "aesthetic" pictures and videos with her phone. She is a very self-driven and leader-like person who is always ready to give a helping hand to others even if she doesn't know as well. She is always ready to learn more about anything that piques her interest. She is by far a very outgoing person and loves to make new friends.

Caleb was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. He is a first-year student at The University of New Mexico He is also on the path to obtaining a degree in construction management and after completing that degree he will go into law school to collect his JD license to pursue a future career as well become an immigration lawyer. He also likes to watch telenovelas and listen to Bachata,Corridos,Reggaeton, and also R&B.His favorite food is empanadas, arroz con Pollo, and oxtails. He also played baseball while in high school as well. Caleb cannot wait for what El Centro de la Raza has in store for him in the future.

Carlos Vasquez is an out-of-state, first-year student at the University of New Mexico from New Orleans, Louisiana. He is Guatemalan-American as his mother is from Illinois and his father is from La Ciudad De Guatemala. Carlos is proud of his ethnic background and believes it plays a big part in how he perceives the world around him. He is empathetic towards any and everyone with different perspectives and always lends his ear to anyone that just needs someone to listen to them. In his free time, Carlos enjoys creating art, playing video games on his switch, hanging out with his friends, going to the gym, exploring Albuquerque, and creating new experiences. He is a hard worker and puts his best efforts in everything that he does. He hopes to find community and guidance through the Transformar Fellowship and bring what he learns with him wherever he goes in life.

Emely Gonzalez, 19, is from Mesa, Arizona, but made Albuquerque her home at the tender age of 6. Currently a sophomore, Emely is diligently working towards a bachelor's degree in criminology, complemented by a minor in forensic science. With an unwavering passion for justice, Emely aspires to become a crime scene investigator, delving into the intricate details of criminal cases. Emely takes immense pride in her Mexican heritage, embracing the rich culture and traditions that have shaped her identity. Through her academic pursuits and personal experiences, Emely is determined to make a difference in the field of criminology and contribute to the pursuit of truth and justice.

Enrique most commonly known as Quique is a freshman at the University of New Mexico this year. He enjoys solving problems that tend to riddle the mind. This was part of the reason why he wanted to major the in-computer science since it’s a field that is riddled with problems that can sometimes resemble riddles. He is born and raised in Santa Fe New Mexico but is also first generation Mexican American whose parents hail from Chihuahua, Mexico. He enjoys experiencing diversity and meeting new people from different backgrounds to his. He finds those experiences very interesting and rewarding at times and hopes he can continue having them for the rest of his life. He can be shy at times when he is around new people but once he gets a feel for the environment, he becomes very open and sociable. He never shies from challenge in especially in matters of life and believes that the only way to grow and experience is to feel uncomfortable and even uncertain at times.

Isaiah is a first-generation student here at UNM. He is currently pursuing a degree in Elementary Education and plans to become an Elementary School Teacher. Isaiah was born and raised in La Junta, Colorado. As a first-generation student, Isaiah is very proud of his heritage and his Mexican roots, as his family is from Cuauhtémoc, CHIH, and Francisco I. Madero, DGO. Isaiah believes he is very blessed to be part of two cultures and experience many opportunities his parents never had. Outside of school, Isaiah is a devoted Catholic; he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, watching the Philadelphia Phillies, and spending his days on his family’s ranch with his farm animals. Isaiah also has a huge passion and love for horse racing, more specifically quarter horses, just like his father and grandpa. Isaiah is very excited to be part of this year's Transformar Mentorship and get to learn more about himself along with his cultura.

Ismael Garcia Chairez is a first-generation student. He was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico, and was raised in Albuquerque New Mexico. He graduated from Moriarty High School and is now a student at The University of New Mexico, majoring in Nutrition and Dietetics. During his free time, he enjoys running, listening to music, art, and cooking. Nutrition and how it affects the human body is something Ismael found interest in within the past two years. During these years, he struggled with an eating disorder. This was when he realized how important food is, not only to nourish the body, but to create memories with family and friends. From tacos de asada to conchas, Mexican food is a big part of Mexican culture. Food is what brings families together. Art is something Ismael also finds interest in. He enjoys drawing facial portraits. Mexican art is something Ismael is not quite familiar with but wants to learn more about. Being part of Transformar, he is excited to further explore the culture he is part of, build his character, and make memorable connections with others.

Jasmine was born in Albuquerque, NM, and grew up in the South Valley until the age of 12. She then moved to Capitan, NM where she attended middle school and high school. She is currently planning on majoring in Biochemistry and minoring in Spanish. She was accepted into UNM's Combined BA/MD Program 2023 Cohort where she is working up to her reserved spot in UNM's School of Medicine. After graduating medical school, Jasmine will join the 2% of proud Latina physicians in the United States. In her free time, she likes to be outdoors doing activities like camping and hiking in the summer and snowboarding in the winter. She also likes to go to the gym and watch football games both in person and on TV. Jasmine likes to travel and is so excited to participate in El Centro's Transformar Program! She is happy to be surrounded by a Latino community and hopes to make friends with those that she meets during her time in the program as well as over the years through El Centro while celebrating Hispanic culture and values.

Kamila Loera is a first-year student at UNM. She was born in Phoenix, Arizona but basically grew up here in Albuquerque because she moved here when she was 5. Kamila’s first language was Spanish and later learned English. Kamila always knew that she wanted to work in the healthcare field but was never too sure until about a year ago. She has a strong passion for helping people and plans to continue doing so when she becomes a Registered Nurse. Kamila has always taken pride in her Mexican culture and heritage and hopes to keep embracing it in the field she goes on to. She hopes to be part of 5.4% of Latina Registered Nurses. Kamila has always been a hard worker and has shown in her studies and working abilities. She’s currently the business owner of “Kami’s Sweets” where she makes strawberry and floral arrangements. Kamila is hopeful for a successful future and can’t wait to see what life brings her.

Madilyn Muñoz is a first-year student at UNM, majoring in criminology and minoring in psychology. She wants to do undercover fieldwork in the FBI. She hopes to be one of America’s top detectives. She was born in raised here in Albuquerque NM, by her lovely parents. Her family is especially important to her. She considers her older sister Leticia to be her best friend. Madi's friends and family describe her as a kind, hard-working, loyal, and very funny person. She enjoys dancing, long drives while listening to music, watching movies, and baking. She works at Dions, as one of their trainers. Madi graduated in 2023 from Atrisco Heritage Academy as senior class vice president, she knows how to lead and how to make an impact on those around her. Coming from Mexican descent, she wants to get closer to her roots and discover who she is as a person. As a first-year student, taking part in La Raza, she hopes to meet new people and discover new adventures.

Mariel León Lazcano is 18 years old, and she was raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico her entire life. Throughout her life, she has been described as kind, hard-working, responsible, and selfless, enough to earn her the 2023 Selfless Senior title in APS. She is attending the University of New Mexico, where she is studying and hoping to achieve a bachelor's in Secondary Education with a focus in Social Studies as well as a minor in TESOL. She also plans to attend graduate school to receive a master's degree in Bilingual Education. Her goal is to become a high school bilingual social studies teacher and give back to the community she grew up in and make her parents proud by furthering her education and opportunities, as they wished for her when they immigrated to the United States. Outside of class, she enjoys volunteering and walking her dog. Currently, she is participating in the Transformar Mentorship Program where she hopes to more profoundly understand her identity and the raíses of the culture she was raised in.

Maritza Perea is a first-year, first-generation student attending UNM. She is planning to achieve a bachelor’s in business administration (BBA). Perea had the opportunity to attend dual credit classes at CNM during her high school years and is extremely grateful for it. Perea was born in Grand Prairie, Texas but moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico when she was a few months old. Perea is the only woman out of her other three siblings. Her parents came to the United States looking to pursue the American Dream and Perea is now a proud Mexican American. She enjoys sleeping, coloring, and trying new foods. She also loves to spend time with her friends and family as much as she can. Perea is passionate to learn more about culture and how it plays a huge role into who we are. Perea is also excited to be a part of Transformar Mentorship Program and El Centro de la Raza.

Miriam Barba is currently in her second year double majoring in Political Science and Chicano/Chicana Studies with a concentration in intersectional politics and Social Movements and a minor in Public Service. She is actively involved in ASUNM as a senator and also involved in Residence Life on campus. Her post-graduation plans are to become the First Latina Mayor of the City of San Antonio and be able to encourage the next generation of Latinas.

Nora is a college freshman majoring in criminology. Her dream is to be an FBI agent but plans on working as a police officer once she graduates from UNM. She wants to make her parents proud and most importantly wants to be successful. Nora loves to read, listen to music, play soccer, and collect posters. She has a whole wall dedicated to horror movies in her room which is pretty cool. Nora is a hard-working and kind person. She is very excited to meet new people in this program!

Reina Sanchez is a first-year, first-generation student here at UNM. They are a proud Mexican Indigenous American from Española, New Mexico. Reina is a dancer and is highly passionate about the arts. They have been dancing since they were 5 years old with a mixture of training in singing, instruments, acting, and art. Reina believes that the arts are not only important to the world and society, but they are also a large part of culture. Culture is incredibly important to Reina, which is why they have joined the Transformar Fellowship Program. They want to connect to their past and culture and grow as a person. They are highly inspired the be the best version of themself possible by their Mother, Nana, Sister, and other loved ones. Reina's ultimate goal in life is to succeed in what they love and support and appreciate people.

Roslyn is a proud daughter of first-generation immigrants. She was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. While she may seem very timid, she loves to meet new people and make connections. She is very family-oriented and loves to spend time learning about her Mexican culture. Although it is not often, her family visits Mexico and they enjoy the delicious food and amazing music they grew up with. During her free time, she enjoys baking desserts and watching the sunset. Despite the fact that attending college in a Mexican household is not very common, her mother who graduated law school works hard to set a good example for her two girls and has guided Roslyn on her path to entering college. Roslyn plans on receiving a pharmacy degree to learn more on how she can help the Hispanic community with the power of medicine. As the eldest daughter, her goal is to be the help her younger sister and cousins may need when they are wanting to further their education.

Sara is 18 years old, she was born in Phoenix, Arizona. But for the majority of her life she has lived in New Mexico in the town of Los Lunas. Sara loves to try and be able to lighten up people’s day, even if just a bit of joy. She has always enjoyed learning about her culture and trying to participate in certain things such as folklorico and matachines but she has joined this program in hopes to be able to learn more about her culture! She is someone who will always try to help others if she can and usually puts other people first before herself. She considers herself a quite respectful and kind girl, she’s very compassionate toward others. She enjoys spending time with family and friends and during her free time she likes to listen to music. Overall, she is always willing to try something new, always tries her best to think positively, and believe in herself and others, you can always achieve your goals if you set your mind on it! She hopes someday she will be able to continue showing that care and kindness throughout her career.

Xochiquetzal is an incredibly dedicated student in her academics and culture. She is Chichimeca and Yaqui indigenous from Mexico and has grown up practicing danza Azteca and Lakota ceremonies. She was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and has three other siblings. She, along with her siblings were taught by their parents to be proud of their culture and to invest in their minds' potential. She grew up with a keen interest in creating and designing complicated projects on the computer. She plans on studying computer engineering for her love of both design and engineering. Apart from her love for STEM, she holds culture very close to her heart. She believes that because of her culture, she is the person she is today. She has joined Transformar in hopes of honing in on her culture along with focusing on her academics. Believing that this program is a great opportunity to learn who she is and who she is meant to become in the future with relation to culture and her future with engineering.

Yesenia Esquivel was born and raised in Albuquerque, NM. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with a minor in Psychology. She is a freshman in terms of class standing but her credit hours put her in the sophomore category. Yesenia graduated from College and Career High School in 2023. She comes from a family of five siblings, with three sisters and one brother, making her the second oldest. Her older sister is also in college, majoring in RN. Her dad is from Chihuahua, Chihuahua, and her mom is from Albuquerque, NM. Every summer, she travels to Mexico, which she greatly enjoys. In her free time, Yesenia enjoys reading, listening to music, watching movies and shows, and exploring new places. She is thrilled to be part of the Transformar Fellowship Mentorship and is excited to deepen her connection with her culture while actively engaging in cultural activities.