Ximena Olvera (she/her) was born in Hidalgo, Mexico where she lived until the age of eleven. She then immigrated to Southern California with her family and reunited with her father. Growing up in a mixed-ethnicity community was a unique experience, understanding that event within her Latino community, there were various cultural expressions and traditions. As a first-generation college student and eldest daughter, she learned to be resilient and to overcome overwhelming challenges of life.
After graduating high school, the path towards higher education was complex, and the possibility of attending college often felt out of reach. However, with the guidance of mentors, Ximena continued her educational path and later on transferred to the University of California, Berkeley, where she majored in English with a minor in Human Rights. Throughout college, she focused on supporting research in Human Trafficking with a focus on B1 visas and conducted research on feminicide, all while participating in two different fellowships. One of these was That Art Party, where she served as program assistant, helping to create playful events for BIPOC adults. Later, Ximena became a peer advisor for Casa Mora, a program at UC Berkeley which focused on helping Latine students prepare for life at university, as well teaching them about Latinx and Chicanx history. In this role, she was able to strengthen her skills in engaging with students, designing event plans, and coordinating the year-long planning of the program.
As part of the Dream SF Fellowship, Ximena is placed with Mission Action.This aligns with her professional interests center on immigration law. At Mission Action, she works as a legal assistant, supporting attorneys and the broader legal team with application preparation, client intakes, and a range of immigration matters, including DACA renewals, asylum cases, and U visas. Through this work, she supports clients as they navigate complex legal processes while adapting to an evolving political and legal landscape in which immigration laws and procedures are constantly changing.
Ximena enjoys listening to music, discovering different food places throughout the Bay Area, as well trying different hobbies such as learning a new language or taking sewing classes.
