Martha (she/her/ella) was born in Jalisco, Mexico, and immigrated to Southern California with her family at the age of three. As the oldest daughter in an immigrant family, she learned early on the value of perseverance, responsibility, and advocating for those she loves. Becoming the first person in her family to graduate from both high school and college is one of Martha’s proudest accomplishments. She hopes that her journey encourages her younger sister and cousins to pursue their dreams.
Martha earned a Bachelor of Arts in Data Science from the University of California, Berkeley. Drawn to both mathematics and technology from a young age, she found data science to be the perfect combination of her interests. At UC Berkeley, Martha found a strong sense of community through the Undocumented Student Center, where she received personal and professional support and connected with resources that helped her pursue opportunities like the DreamSF Fellowship. Her interest in advocacy grew through her involvement with a health interpreting organization in Oakland. Here she helped non-English speaking families access healthcare and interpret for them in order for them to be able to receive healthcare benefits. This was the first time she worked in an organization that dealt with advocacy for the immigrant community, and she hopes to continue to do so.
For the DreamSF Fellowship, Martha is placed at the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN), where she supports the organization’s immigration legal program. Working alongside attorneys and paralegals, she helps connect low-income immigrants and their families with accessible immigration legal support, including pro bono and low-cost services.
Martha enjoys dancing, trying new restaurants, and exploring new places. One of her current hobbies is attending music festivals and concerts by her favorite artists, including Karol G, whom she has seen twice this year, and Justin Bieber, whom she’s liked since childhood. Martha values simple moments in life that bring spontaneity, like a random trip to the beach or a night walk to get food. She also values spending time with the people she loves, that is going on a trip or to a bar to play pool and take pictures in a photobooth.
