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Today we have Valerie Gomez a Cheetos DEA ambassador,
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a phd candidate and founder of the Latina Grad guide with us
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Hey Valerie, what's up?
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Hi. Thank you so much for having me.
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Thank you for joining us.
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This is awesome. So can you tell us about the Latina
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grad guide and why you started it?
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So Latina grad guide is both a social impact venture and social
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media platform that supports and uplifts Latinas in higher education through digital
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campaigns in person and virtual events.
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And most recently, a scholarship that I launched in collaboration with
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the local education foundation.
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We've been able to support women.
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Latina graduate students continue and finish their graduate degrees.
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And really the reason why I launched this platform nearly five years
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ago now was based on my own personal experience as a first
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generation Latina college student and graduate.
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And it was very strategic because at that time,
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I was transitioning from my full time job at the University of
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California Irvine, working specifically with transfer students and undocumented students into
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being a phd student.
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And so I launched my platform.
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So there are women and individuals that are part of my Latina
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grad guide community that I've known for nearly five years or who
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have followed my journey since I moved into grad housing.
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That's awesome. It's like an incredible resource.
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And what did it mean to you to be selected at the
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Chilo de had the way ambassador.
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It was truly an honor and really a validation of the work
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that I I've been doing in my community and to date,
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we've been able to award $20,000 to Latina graduate students from numerous
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disciplines who are at various institutions all over the US.
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We're currently in the process of reviewing applicants for our third scholarship
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cohort. So we're really excited to continue doing this work and
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ensuring that Latina graduate students have the financial resources they need to
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succeed and finish up their graduate programs.
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I'm really excited to be able to support them because I
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know that they will also be making a positive impact in our
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community now and also in the future when they start their careers
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That's awesome. Honestly,
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what you're doing is like you're making a huge difference.
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Like I remember applying for college and,
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and, and how difficult the process was and you need guidance
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you know, and what kind of legacy do you aim
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to leave for future generations in your community?
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I just want future generations to know that they can dream big
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and that they can achieve anything that they set their minds to
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But I think that as they're reaching for success that they're
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also uplifting others along the way.
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And this is a legacy that I think is an extension of
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my family's legacy. My family fled war torn El Salvador in
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the 19 eighties. And really the reason why we're here is
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because along the way,
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there were people in my family's life that helped us.
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And I think about my alias's eldest sister who helped them get
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papers for them to come to the US or other family members
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who loaned my family money so that they could fly and pay
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for their airline tickets and come to the US and family who
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housed my parents, my aunts,
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uncles and my grandparents when they arrived in the US.
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And if it weren't for those people who from really the kindness
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of their heart, we wouldn't be here.
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And as a child growing up,
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I saw my parents and my family generally do the same thing
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for others. And I guess more on that,
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what advice do you have for those trying to leave their mark
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My advice would be to follow your passions,
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whatever those may be and to celebrate all of the small wins
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and accomplishments. Along away,
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oftentimes, we have really grand ambitions and we don't necessarily celebrate
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ourselves until we accomplish whatever that vision might be.
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But those little moments along the way is really what the journey
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is all about. I would also encourage folks to connect with
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others if you want to go fast,
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go alone. If you want to go far,
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go together. And that's something that I deeply believe is in
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the power of community.
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I agree that is deep,
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but I agree. And how can students find you and stay
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informed? Students can find me on Instagram and tiktok at Latina
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grad guide. They can also connect with me via email at
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Latina grad guide at gmail.com.
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Thank you so much Valerie.
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Let's give her a hand if you're also helping your communities go
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tell Cheetos about it,
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enter for your chance to win $25,000 and to become the next
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Cheetos Deja Waya ambassador.
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