About

Program: Ph.D. Student in the Combined Program in Education and Psychology

Hometown: Manteca, CA

Victoria is a doctoral candidate in the Combined Program in Education and Psychology at the University of Michigan. She is a first-generation college student and is excited to serve as the President of Puentes so that she can contribute to building a strong sense of community on campus among Latinx students. Outside of school, Victoria enjoys hanging out with her cat, weightlifting, dancing salsa and bachata, and cooking with her husband! 

Twitter: @VVezaldenos| LinkedIn

Program:  Ph.D. Student in the Combined Program in Education and Psychology

Hometown: Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico

Viviana is passionate about teaching and community outreach. She has a bachelor’s in Special Education with an emphasis in Deaf Education and a master’s in Early Childhood and Special Education. Her research interests are bilingualism, heritage language acquisition, and language and literacy development in linguistically-diverse learners. Outside of work, Viviana enjoys reading, spending time outdoors, exploring Michigan with her husband, and collaborating in diverse community initiatives. 

Program: Ph.D. Student in Romance Languages and Literature, Spanish

Hometown: Southern California, feat. Inland Empire and San Gabriel Valley 

Jessica is a doctoral candidate in Spanish Literature at the University of Michigan. She has a BA in English and Comparative Literature from Cal State Fullerton, sparking her current research on intergenerational narratives and Latinx identity. As a first-generation student, she is excited to connect with other Latinx students and take part in building a stronger BIPOC community on campus. Jessica loves to channel her creative energy (and hyperfocus) through cooking, baking, and cross-stitching when she's not reading, doing puzzles, or playing video games.

Program: M.D./MBA Candidate at the University of Michigan Medical School and Ross School of Business

Hometown: Staten Island, New York

Gabriela is a 5th year medical student at UMMS and is hoping to obtain a dual degree in medicine and business. She is currently enrolled as an MBA1 at the Ross School of Business. She hopes to apply to General Surgery for residency. As the current LANAMA president, she hopes to continue to expand the Latinx community at the graduate level here at Michigan. She aspires to focus her career on improving surgical outcomes for individuals in minoritized communities. She is excited to join the Puentes board this year and is looking forward to contributing to this great community at U of M.

Program: DDS Student at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry

Hometown: Detroit, MI

Frida is a second year dental student hoping to become a general dentist and possibly specialize in oral & maxillofacial surgery. She completed a bachelor's in evolutionary anthropology at the University of Michigan and grew up in Southwest Detroit. As a dentist, she hopes to mitigate health disparities present in Black, Indigenous, and Latine communities. With Puentes, she hopes to provide mentorship and deepen the connection amongst all Latine students on campus. In her free time, Frida enjoys reading, going on walks, and trying new restaurants. 

Program: Ph.D. Student in Chemistry 

Hometown: Mexico and Colorado

Vanessa is a PhD student in Chemistry specializing in method development and antibody-antigen characterization using mass spectrometry. She is from Mexico and Colorado. Vanessa completed her undergraduate studies at Williams College in Massachusetts, where she double-majored in Chemistry and Arabic. She became involved with Puentes because she was drawn to the supportive community it offers. 

Program: Master's in Public Health, Health Behavior Health Education

Hometown: Goshen, IN

Irving Suarez is an MPH Health Behavior & Health Education student at the University of Michigan. With a background in Psychology and Biology from Goshen College, he has been part of various research projects on topics centering on Latinx immigrant health. During his free time, Suarez enjoys running, trying new restaurants, and spending time with loved ones. 

Hometown: Córdoba, Argentina

Carla is passionate about web development and cybersecurity, with over four years of experience in building and maintaining web applications. As a full-stack developer, Carla has contributed to various high-traffic projects, and is currently expanding her skills in cybersecurity. Serving as the Events & Logistics Co-Chair, Carla is excited to connect with the community and help organize events that foster collaboration and learning among the latin community at UofM. Outside of work, Carla enjoys baking, using her telescope with her husband, coding new projects, crochetting, engaging in local activities, and trying out new hobbies all the time.

Program: Ph.D. Student in Developmental Psychology

Hometown: Port Jefferson Station, NY

Daniela received her B.A. in Psychology and Mathematics from Williams College and is now pursuing her PhD in Developmental Psychology at the University of Michigan. Her work focuses on the way media influences children's identity development. Daniela joined Puentes to both find and foster community with other Latine students. Outside of school, Daniela enjoys playing tennis, going on walks, and watching movies.

Twitter: @dgalvezcepeda | LinkedIn | Website 

Program: MA student in Higher Education

Hometown: Perth Amboy, NJ

Jo-Ana is a first-year Master’s student in Higher Education. She has a Bachelor’s in English and a Master's in Education. In her free time, she enjoys going to the gym, trying new restaurants, and drinking coffee.

Program: Master’s student at the Ford School of Public Policy

Hometown: Florida

Paulina Trujillo is a first-year master’s student at the Ford School of Public Policy, concentrating on social policy. Born and raised in the sunshine state of Florida, Paulina received her Bachelor's degrees at the University of Florida in political science and gender, sexuality, and women’s studies. Her mother was born and raised on the island of Puerto and her father in the Central American country of Panama. In her free time, she loves going to concerts and doing photography. 

Program: Ph.D. Student in Mechanical Engineering

Hometown:  Chicago, IL 

Eric is a Ph.D. Student in Mechanical Engineering studying solid state batteries for use in electric vehicles. He earned his Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. With Puentes, Eric hopes to promote unity and mentorship among the Hispanic graduate community at Michigan. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, cooking, and dancing. 

Program: Ph.D. Candidate in Personality and Social Contexts Psychology

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA 

Dianna is a doctoral candidate in the Personality and Social Contexts Psychology area. Her research focuses on environmental factors that affect racial/ethnic minoritized students' well-being. Her current project explores contextual predictors of maladaptive sleep habits among Latinx STEM students. Outside of research, Dianna enjoys trying new restaurants, practicing yoga, and exploring the greater Ann Arbor area. Serving as the Communications Chair, Dianna looks forward to meeting everyone in the Puentes community as well as sharing upcoming events and activities.