LCC Team Members

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cabrerar@uic.edu

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jmena2@uic.edu

Jorge Mena Robles was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and immigrated to the United States when he was 8 years old. He learned English while first living in Dallas, Texas before settling in Chicago, Illinois where he has spent most of his years. He is a first-generation college student and attended community college before transferring to UIC. As an undergraduate student, Mena studied Anthropology and Latin American & Latino Studies. During this time, he was involved in the undocumented immigrant youth movement via the formation of the Immigrant Youth Justice League in 2009. This time was formative as it led him to continue supporting and working with youth. After working with high school students and alongside restaurant workers building power through workplace and policy organizing, Mena attended graduate school where his MA research focused on undocumented and queer youth activism and how the process of ‘coming out’ can lead to individual and collective identity formation.

Prior to joining the LCC in 2021, Mena served as Assistant Director at La Casa Cultural Latina at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. During this time, he was able to support students and teach courses on mass incarceration as well as mental health wellness & awareness – a salient but often overlooked component of Latinx student’s academic and personal development. Mena is dedicated to ensuring that students of color successfully enter, navigate, and graduate from higher education. He has a personal commitment to engaging youth, parents, and the larger community so as to make college more accessible to first-generation, immigrant, and low-income families. Outside of work, Mena enjoys biking around the city, being near the lake, meditating, and trying new coffee beans.

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ldejes3@uic.edu

Lauren De Jesus joined the LCC as a Graduate Assistant from Fall 2017 to Spring 2019. She grew up volunteering in her community on the Northwest side and exploring Chicago’s museums. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2016 and completed her Master’s in Museum and Exhibition Studies at UIC in 2019. Throughout these experiences, she developed a passion for cultures, museum work, social justice, and environmental justice. Her goal is to change the way the public views museums by demonstrating that museums can utilize their expertise to encourage visitors to think critically about the issues facing society today.

sherna54@uic.edu

Sarita Hernández is a teaching artist, oral historian, and print/zine-maker from salvadoréxican Califas based in Chicago. Sarita is co-founder of marimacha monarca press, a queer and trans* people of color artist collective based in Chicago’s Southwest Side since 2017 invested in making art accessible across generations and languages. They first joined the Latino Cultural Center as a graduate assistant focused on an oral history project centering Mexican Chicago’s connections to the Monarch butterfly and conservation practices in 2016. Currently, Sarita is faculty for printmaking at the Hyde Park Art Center and working on the ARTivism’s workshop series at the Latino Cultural Center.  They raise monarch butterflies and black swallowtails that land in the garden bed shared with their siblings in the McKinley Park Community Garden. Sarita also makes #queerveganpies via @pleasurepies which is a pleasure based and sex-positive pie shop. They have worked on several teaching artist and curatorial projects with the National Museum of Mexican Art, Marwen Arts, and the Chicago Park District. They are interested in artistic interventions with the historical archive and imagining alternative forms of social documentation, preservation, and activation of everyday histories, survivals, and resistances.

They/she

nayala3@uic.edu

Natalie Noemi Ayala is an interdisciplinary Chicago teaching artist, Latinx Punk researcher, environmental justice advocate and small-batch jewelry maker from the South Chicago/Southeast Side. Their work is centered around archiving and displaying the historical resilience of low-income, working-class and communities of color both in the U.S and in Latin America through mixed-media arts. Their art mediums of interest include mixed-media sculpture, film, digital animation, paper mache, jewelry making, zines, button-making and anything else they can get their hands on. Natalie received their B.A in Studio Art and Chicanx/Latinx Studies in 2021 from Pitzer College in Claremont, CA and an M.A in Museum & Exhibition Studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) in 2023. Throughout their career, they have worked with various organizations teaching and co-facilitating culturally-relevant arts education including incarceration facilities across California, Chicago Public Schools on the Southwest and Southeast Sides, Marwen Arts and local community organizations. They have also facilitated arts-based environmental justice workshops with organizations such as Friends of the Forest Preserve, Southeast Youth Alliance (SYA) and were a part of a year-long climate justice teaching artist cohort with the Chicago Park District’s Young Cultural Stewards. Outside of their work with arts education, they run a small batch D-I-Y jewelry brand (@artistic_disasters) and are involved in the local Chicago arts community. Their studio assistants include their two young kittens, Oliver and Gnocchi. They hope to dismantle capitalism and empower young people one zine at a time!

He / Him / His

azamar4@uic.edu

Alonzo Zamarrón, originally from Rochelle, Illinois, moved to Chicago to pursue his passion for graphic design. His love for music led him to perform with various groups, including Banda San Guillermo, UIC Mariachi Fuego, and Fuerte Arranke, reflecting his deep connection to culture and creativity.

His design journey began at the UIC Latino Cultural Center in 2014 as a student graphic designer, and after graduation, he transitioned into a full-time role. He now supports UIC’s diversity initiatives, working with the Latino Cultural Center, Office of Diversity, and Women’s Leadership and Resource Center.

Outside of work, Alonzo enjoys crafting, caring for his many plants, kayaking, hiking, playing with his bird Kiwi, and hosting friends and family.

To view some of his work, visit alonzozamarron.com

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Melannie Crystal Agaton is an undergraduate student majoring in Political Science with a Pre-Law career path. She is Mexican and is a first-generation American with strong ties to her culture and roots. Her connection to her culture has resulted in her involvement with various Latino centered groups & organizations: UIC Latinx Heritage Month Planning Committee and the UIC Latina Leadership Institute. She has also been involved with her community through volunteering at her local food pantry and by serving as an interpreter for immigration attorneys. Melannie has experience in public speaking, protesting, rallying, and coordinating community events. Melannie’s identities and beliefs have pushed her to dedicate much of her time to activism and promoting justice for marginalized communities through her education and work.

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Ashley is a junior in the Urban Studies program. She is a first generation student from the Northwest suburbs. Besides being a student educator, Ashley is a Heritage Garden leader and an Urban Public Policy Fellow.

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Abigail Hernandez is an undergraduate majoring in Disability and Human Development and minoring in Social Justice. Being brown, first-generation, and queer has shaped her passions. Having grown up in the Englewood – Back of The Yards neighborhood, she experienced firsthand the lack of accessible health care as well as the heavy policing that is present in her community. All of this motivated her to pursue an education focused on improving the experiences of intersectional identities within healthcare settings. She also serves as a peer mentor for Campus Housing’s Gender & Sexuality Minorities LLC. As a peer mentor, she works towards building a safe and welcoming space for students who identify as a gender/sexual minority.

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Ashley Cruz is a third year psychology undergraduate student from the southside of Chicago. She is a first-generation student that hopes to become a social worker. Ashley’s mom is from Mexico City and her dad is from Chicago. She has played the violin since the age of two and has played with a mariachi band in the past. Ashley loves to embrace her culture by celebrating Mexican traditions and learning how to cook Mexican food. She also enjoys helping others by volunteering at food pantries or assisting elderly people in her community. She also enjoys learning about social justice issues and brainstorming ways to keep teens out of joining violent gangs in La Villita.

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Monse Garcia (Monserrat) is a third year undergraduate student majoring in both Sociology and Latin American and Latino Studies. Monse is a first-generation student, and resides on the southwest side of Chicago in Little Village. Not learning much about Latinx experiences and history in school made her interested in continuing to learn the  deep history of Latinx movemements led by Latinx communities across the country. She is currently co-leading the organization Mexican Students de Aztlàn (Me.S.A.) at UIC and enjoys volunteering with UIC’s  Latinx Heritage Month and helping plan the LCC’s Noche de Poetas.

She/Hers/Ella

Joscelyn Jasso is a second year undergraduate student majoring in Public Policy at the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs (CUPPA). She identifies as Mexican-American and a first-generation college student. She grew up near Lincoln Square and Albany Park and now resides in Jefferson Park on the Northwest side of Chicago. She feels very connected to her Mexican roots and values her Latina heritage. Joscelyn is the oldest sibling within her family and is very family-oriented. She has an interest in policy, politics, education, environmental policy, nonprofit organizations, and anything relating to animals, both domestic and wildlife. During her freetime she likes to spend time and go out with her family, try new coffee, travel, go shopping/thrifting, hang out with her pets, and watch movies/tv shows.

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Ximena Soleda Ramirez is an undergraduate majoring in history and is also interested in Classics.She is from a Chicago suburb and chose to come to UIC to have a more diverse learning environment. She is Mexican and Colombian as well as a first-generation college student. Ximena loves both of her cultures and wants to be involved in more organizations that are focused on embracing who she is and where she comes from. Ramirez has experience with protests and wants to improve her public speaking skills. Currently, she dedicates her time to educating herself about a multitude of social justice issues. It is important to her that she always attempts to create a safe and welcoming environment for everyone and anyone.

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Alicia Kim Ribeiro was born in the Susquehanna area and moved to Chicago to study English with a focus in creative writing and to engage with the local art community. They are currently co-leading an organization for Central and South American students called CASA. Alicia is interested in language learning and immigrant justice and volunteers at HANA Center as an English tutor. They also enjoy volunteering at Southside Community Art Center for workshops, exhibition openings, and other events.

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Luna Valderrama is a first-year student and new intern at the LCC. She is an Earth and Environmental Science major pursuing a minor in Latin American and Latino Studies. Luna was born and raised in rural Illinois, but home for her is Tepic, Mexico. Along with being a Latinx first-gen student, Luna is also a member of LARES and a Student Ambassador at the L@s GANAS office. Luna’s hobbies include reading, playing tennis, going on walks, and listening to music.

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Digital Marketing & Social Media Intern

Julissa Alvarado is a fourth year undergraduate student majoring in psychology from the Southwest suburbs of Chicago. She is a first-generation Mexican-American student and transferred in fall 2022 from College Of DuPage. Julissa’s career aspirations after graduating from UIC are to become a digital marketer. In the future, by creating her own Youtube Channel and becoming a host to her own podcast, she hopes to represent more Latinas in the media/marketing industry. Her interest in digital marketing and social media began as a social media ambassador where she began creating Tiktok videos and Instagram posts. In the past, Julissa played for Romeoville High School’s JV girls soccer team as a midfielder and ran long distance in girls cross country. Julissa is the youngest of three siblings and a proud aunt of two nephews and nieces.

Heritage Garden project efforts are carried out through the activities of the internship program, which runs in Fall, Spring and Summer and adapts to the season. Interns sustain the planting of the satellite gardens and offer public programs, tours of the gardens, and volunteer days. The UIC Sustainability Fee has funded paid internships since its inception in the summer of 2013.

To see a list of current and past interns and leaders, visit the Heritage Garden website.

Lead. Create. Change. Internship Program

UIC Heritage Garden Internship Program