Karina (she/they) immigrated to the United States at two years old from Guadalajara, Mexico. She grew up in the Bay Area, and from a young age she had a ferocious fire for justice. As the oldest of three siblings, and as a first-generation immigrant, Karina didn’t have a role model to look up to, so she became her own role model. Being diagnosed with depression and anxiety added to the difficulty of walking towards her future alone as a first-generation student. Nonetheless, Karina refuses to be willingly pushed to failure by the social systems built against her.
Karina earned her bachelor’s degree in both Intensive Psychology and Legal Studies with honors from University of California, Santa Cruz. At UCSC, she underwent various internships, such as with their Undocumented Student Services (USS) program and the Center for Economic Justice and Action (CEJA). These opportunities exposed Karina to the needs of the undocumented community and students, such as imposter syndrome, culture shock, and food/financial insecurity. Through these experiences, she realized her desire to uplift undocumented voices and dismantle harmful societal constructs. After graduating, Karina immediately began her journey in independent contracting with A.L.L.I.E.S. as a job coach and is now delivering presentations on independent contracting to undocumented college students. Supporting these students affirmed her passion for educational advocacy and will be applying for her masters in counseling this fall.
For the DreamSF Fellowship, Karina is placed with Refugee and Immigrant Transitions (RIT). Through this opportunity, she supports the educational success of newly arrived immigrant students. From one-on-one tutoring to social emotional support/mentoring, Karina is excited to dive deep into the field of education.
Outside of her projects, Karina is regaining Spanish and connecting more with her roots. Her fire grows more than ever, which she expresses through her writing. Since middle school, she found peace in spoken word and storytelling and her writing is published in TWANAS, an activist publication at UCSC. Karina also enjoys watching horror movies and listening to reggaeton music.
