2022 COHORt
Vanesa Iniguez (she/her/hers) was born in South Los Angeles, CA and raised in South LA and Inglewood, CA by Mexican parents.
In 2021, she earned her B.A. in Environmental Studies and Geography, with an emphasis on socio-ecological systems from Dartmouth College. While at Dartmouth, Vanesa studied abroad in South Africa and Namibia, where her interest in food justice grew and shaped her studies.
Currently, Vanesa works at an environmental consulting firm, working on clean air transportation projects in California.
Lizet Garcia (she/her/hers) was born and raised in Hawthorne, CA by Mexican parents.
Currently, Lizet is a senior at Dartmouth College majoring in Geography and Education. She is doing research on the school-to-prison pipeline in Hawthorne/Lawndale high schools.
Lizet hopes that her research helps uplift voices in the community and somehow helps combating racial injustices. Her goal is to return to Hawthorne, CA to become an educator.
Adrian Lizardo (he/him/his) was born and raised in Inglewood, CA by Mexican parents.
He earned his B.A. in Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution and his M.A. in Education from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Currently, he works as a Science teacher. His goal is to empower BIPOC students and help develop their confidence to navigate the world after high-school.
Karla Vasquez (she/her/hers) was born in San Salvador, El Salvador and raised in Hawthorne, CA by a single Salvadoran mother.
Currently, Karla is a senior at Hawthorne High School. At Hawthorne HS, she leads the Criminal Justice Alliance Club, which advocates for equality, justice, and fair treatment.
Karla is also the Co-Founder of Youth Integrity Tutoring Club, which supports English Language Learner (ELL) students. She is also a part of the ED100 Academy for Californian Student Leaders. In addition, Karla is also a part of social movements in El Salvador, like “Todos Somos Karen Y Eduardo,” which aims to raise awareness on the missing cases of teenagers in El Salvador.
Melissa Guzman (she/her/hers) was born and raised in Inglewood, CA by Mexican parents.
In 2021, Melissa earned a B.A. in Computer Science at Wellesley College in Wellesley, MA. At Wellesley, she not only developed her technical knowledge, but also learned how algorithms and technology can and do perpetuate inequality.
Currently, Melissa is a Software Engineer at The Walt Disney Company. Her goal is to later pursue a PhD with a focus on technology policy and the ethics of artificial intelligence. She hopes to further research that illuminates how automated systems target and harm marginalized communities like that of her own.
Christina Chillin (she/her/hers) was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA to Salvadoran parents.
In 2015, Christina earned her B.A. in Linguistics from UC Santa Barbara, and in 2020 she earned her Masters in Public Diplomacy from USC. She has previously worked in international education and created and directed bi-national programming for women’s professional and personal development.
Currently, Christina is coordinating cultural diversity and tolerance programs. She also writes for various media outlets focusing on the challenges and wins of the Latinx community.