My Professional Background
I have 15 years of experience working in higher education. In 2018 I joined Mt. SAC and I worked in General Counseling and the STEM Center for two years, and in May 2020 I became part of the EOPS/CARE team. I am also a counselor and professor at Santa Ana College and for the past 5 years I have worked in General Counseling, the First-Year Experience ULink program, and in their Middle College High School Dual Enrollment program. Before becoming a counselor, I worked as student program specialist and math tutor at Santa Ana College.
My Educational Background
Growing up I continuously moved between the US and Mexico, which disrupted my K-12 education and eventually led me to drop out of high school and join the workforce at the age of 16. Like many of our EOPS/CARE students, I began my higher education journey at a community college. I was a 27 year-old non-traditional, first-generation, Latina, adult-reentry STEM major student. Needless to say, starting and getting through college was challenging, but with hard work and the support of mentors, counselors, and student support programs I was able to reach my goal. Before I knew I wanted to become a college counselor, I wanted to pursue a career medicine. During the time I was completing my associate’s and bachelor’s degree, I worked at Santa Ana College as a math tutor and in various student support programs such as the Transfer Center, Service Learning and the Office of Student Life. After completing my bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences at UC Irvine, I realized I wanted to work in a community college setting and I decided to become a counselor. My master’s degree is in multicultural counseling from San Diego State University an in the near future, I want to continue my educational journey by pursuing a doctorate degree.
My Personal Background
I was born in Santa Ana, California and life circumstances led me to grow up back and forth between the US and Mexico, so I proudly identify as a binational Mexican-American. My parents immigrated from Michoacán, Mexico, to California where my father was a farmworker and picked oranges in Corona, California. Both of my parents only competed elementary school in Mexico, but my mother proudly completed her GED in her later years in the US. I highly value my binational upbringing that has allowed me to experience firsthand my cultural roots and the ability of being fluent in English and Spanish.
I enjoy traveling and some of the places I have visited are Hawaii, New York, Oaxaca, Puerto Rico, Italy, Spain, France, and Japan. I have two rescue dogs named Lexie and Kokis and on my time off I like cooking, going for walks at the beach, or taking leisurely nature hikes.
