Experience &
Education
A career dedicated to shaping equitable educational environments — in district governance and in the university classroom.
Board of Trustee, Area E
Sequoia Union High School District · Redwood City, CA
Elected to serve on the Board of Trustees for one of the Bay Area's largest high school districts, representing the interests of students, families, and educators across six comprehensive high schools and several specialized programs.
As a member of the Board of Trustees, I participate in setting the educational direction and policies that affect thousands of students across the district. My work centers on advancing equity for students who are English Language Learners, students experiencing housing instability, and first-generation college-bound students.
Key responsibilities and accomplishments include:
- Championing the adoption of a comprehensive Ethnic Studies curriculum across all district high schools
- Advocating for increased mental health support resources and bilingual counseling services
- Supporting the expansion of dual-enrollment programs that provide pathways to community college and CSU/UC systems
- Collaborating with local organizations to connect families with wraparound services
- Leading the development of the district's first-generation college-going initiative
Director, TRIO Programs
San Jose State University · San José, CA
Leading federally-funded TRIO programs that provide academic support, mentoring, and access services to first-generation, low-income, and students with disabilities — creating pathways to higher education success.
As Director of TRIO Programs at San Jose State University, I oversee federally-funded initiatives designed to support students who face the greatest barriers to academic achievement. My work draws directly from my own experience as a first-generation college student and my lifelong commitment to educational equity.
Key responsibilities and initiatives include:
- Directing the day-to-day operations of TRIO student support services, including advising, tutoring, and academic skills development
- Building partnerships with faculty, financial aid, and community organizations to create comprehensive student support networks
- Developing culturally responsive programming that centers the experiences of Latinx, Indigenous, and first-generation students
- Overseeing grant compliance, budget management, and federal reporting requirements
- Mentoring students through the transition to higher education and guiding them toward graduate study and professional careers
Professor
San Jose State University · San José, CA
Teaching undergraduate and graduate courses that center the histories, literatures, and lived experiences of Latinx, Indigenous, and Chicanx communities, while mentoring first-generation students navigating higher education.
My work at San Jose State University sits at the intersection of scholarship and advocacy. I teach courses that bring critical race theory, Indigenous epistemologies, and Chicanx cultural production into dialogue, equipping students with frameworks to analyze the world and their place in it.
Courses taught include:
- Chicanx & Latinx Studies — community histories, identity formation, and contemporary political movements
- Indigenous Cultures of the Americas — pre-colonial knowledge systems and sovereignty
- First-Generation Student Success Seminar — navigating academia as a student from an underrepresented background
- Race, Education & Policy — structural analysis of educational inequity
Beyond the classroom, I serve as a TRIO Director/PI and Grant Writer, securing and leading federally funded programs that expand access and support for first-generation and low-income students pursuing higher education.
University of Texas at Austin
Ph.D. — Indigenous Mexican Oral History, Tradition and Testimonies
My doctoral research at the University of Texas at Austin examined Indigenous Mexican oral histories, traditions, and testimonies as sites of knowledge production, resistance, and cultural continuity. Through extensive fieldwork and community-engaged research, I developed frameworks for understanding how oral tradition functions as pedagogy, as archive, and as act of sovereignty.
This work continues to anchor my teaching, scholarship, and advocacy — informing how I engage with students from Indigenous and Latinx communities who are navigating educational systems that have long overlooked their intellectual and cultural inheritances.
University of Texas at Austin
M.A. — Indigenous Mexican Oral History, Tradition and Testimonies
My Master's research at the University of Texas at Austin brought me into deep engagement with Indigenous Mexican oral traditions, centering the voices and testimonies of communities whose knowledge systems have been marginalized in academic discourse. This work laid the methodological and ethical foundation for my doctoral research.
University of California, Berkeley
B.A. in 20th Century Literature
My undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley grounded me in literary analysis, critical theory, and the power of narrative. Engaging deeply with 20th century texts — across traditions and languages — gave me the analytical tools and humanistic sensibility that continue to shape my scholarly voice and my work in the classroom.