Daniela Martinez-Cruz (she/her/hers) is a second-year student majoring in Education and Social Transformation. As an aspiring Latina educator in the STEM field, she is passionate about increasing the interest of low-income, Latinx, and Indigenous-identifying students in mathematics. She hopes to use her personal experiences in the education field to improve others’ journeys and contribute to the increasing presence of Latinx in STEM.

 

With the goal of improving the success and retention of Latinx and Indigenous-identifying students in higher education, Daniela is the internal executive of Grupo Estudiantil Oaxaqueño de UCLA for the 2023-2024 school year. During the summer of 2022, Daniela participated in the Applied Mathematics Mentorship program through UCLA’s Curtis Center and was given the opportunity to work with 7th-grade students in South Los Angeles. She completed her internship at the end of the fall quarter and was able to be a mentor for students who had never considered mathematics as a possible career.

 

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Daniela is the proud daughter of Oaxacan immigrant parents from San Francisco LaChigolo and Santa Cruz Papalutla.

Daphne Santos is a third year at UCLA with a major in Public Health and a minor in Labor Studies. While serving as the External Executive of Grupo Estudiantil Oaxaqueño, she became passionate about advocating for her community, and she plans to pursue a career within public health equity. 

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Her commitment to understanding her community and advancing her knowledge in public health led her to study abroad in Puerto Escondido Oaxaca, where she gained invaluable insights into the intersection of her cultural roots and public health challenges. Daphne worked for Dr. Maylei Blackwell on research concerning Indigenous Women movements in Mexico and its diaspora, an experience that ignited a profound interest in the Oaxacan diaspora and bolstered her dedication to advancing public health equity. As a current Health Justice fellow with the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC), Daphne will have the opportunity to engage in community-centered programming, organizing, and advocacy, especially focusing on healthcare and public health policy. 

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Daphne is a first-generation student and a proud daughter of immigrants from Oaxaca, Mexico. Born in Santa Maria and raised in McFarland, she became aware of the inequities in both the Central Valley and Central Coast of California and hopes to be an advocate for reducing health disparities in disproportionately affected communities.
 

Karina Barrera Guzman (she/her/hers) is a junior majoring in Psychobiology. As a woman in STEM, she is passionate about the medical field and providing equitable health services to underrepresented minority groups, particularly Mexican and Central American communities. As a first-generation student, Karina is also deeply committed to improving the educational opportunities for low-income, first-generation students in higher education.

 

At UCLA, Karina is an active member of several organizations. She is involved with Compas, where she provides essential resources for farmworkers and their children. In Bruin Hope, she actively promotes equitable education and wellness resources for orphanages in Tijuana, Mexico. Additionally, as part of Flying Samaritans, she offers vital healthcare services to communities in Tijuana. These experiences have further ignited her passion for serving low-income, Spanish-speaking communities through medicine.

 

Born and raised in Moreno Valley, Karina is a proud Oaxaqueña and takes pride in being the daughter of Oaxacan-indigenous parents from near Santiago Juxtlahuaca. Her upbringing has instilled in her a deep connection to Oaxaca and heightened her awareness of the inequities faced by indigenous communities. With a strong desire to help the medically underserved and bridge the gap in health disparities, Karina aspires to pursue a career in medicine and perform surgery.

Diego Bollo (He/Him) is a second-year majoring in Political Science. He is an undergraduate student interested in immigration law and policy, political journalism, and worker rights/union law. During the summer of 2023, Diego interned with the UC Berkeley Labor Center to assist low-wage workers in San Francisco. 

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Diego hopes to work as a lawyer to remove institutionalized barriers for immigrant individuals. He works alongside the Immigration Family Legal Clinic with the UCLA School of Law. He is excited to meet more Oaxacan-identifying individuals at all educational levels at UCLA. 

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His family originates from Villa Hidalgo Yalalag in the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca. 

Juan E. Sierra. (he/him/his) is a sophomore majoring in Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics. An incoming Board Member of El Grupo Estudiantil Oaxaqueño, he is passionate about learning of the issues occurring in his home state of Oaxaca and supporting Oaxacan students with resources and opportunities.

 

At UCLA, Juan participated in the Freshman Summer Program which involved him in the AAP program. For his academic achievement and involvement in his community, Juan received the Kedron Veliz Memorial Scholarship back home and participated in the Chino Junior Livestock Fair.

 

Juan is the proud son of immigrant parents from Mexico and grew up in Chino, CA.

Heidy (she/her) was born and raised in Los Angeles, California to immigrant parents from Oaxaca, Mexico. She obtained her B.A. in Public Affairs and Labor Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). 

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Aware of the importance of Oaxacan-indigenous students’ identity in higher education, Heidy was one of Grupo Estudiantil Oaxaqueño de UCLA's founders and currently serves as the Alumni Advisor and continues to provide guidance and Alumni decision-making in GEO. Heidy’s dedication to social justice and equity led her to become a Project Policy Analyst at the UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute (LPPI), overseeing the design of leadership programs that advance data-informed governance to improve the quality of life for Latinos and other communities of color. She is a current Congressional Hispanic Institute (CHCI) Legislative Fellow in the U.S. House of Representatives. Heidy hopes to continue seeing GEO thrive at UCLA and continue to bring Oaxaqeuño perspectives into the policy space, where the community has historically been underserved.