Career Panel Sessions

Romero Perez is 28 years old and was born in Magdalena Mixtepec, a small town in Oaxaca, Mexico. At the age of eight, he moved to the United States with his parents, settling in Santa Maria, California, where he was raised along the Central Coast. His parents worked as farmworkers and instilled in him the importance of education as a pathway to a better quality of life and a meaningful career.

He attended Cal Poly Humboldt (formerly Humboldt State University), where he earned a degree in Environmental Science. After graduating, he gained experience in environmental monitoring and electric vehicle programs, developing a strong foundation in sustainability and clean energy. He later joined PG&E as a Product Manager on the Clean Energy Transportation Team. In 2025, driven by a desire to further grow professionally and deepen his technical expertise, Romero decided to pursue a master’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Irvine.

Maria is a first-generation high school, college and law school graduate originally from the Salinas Valley. Maria graduated from UC Santa Cruz in 2012 with a double major in Politics and Latin American & Latinx Studies and obtained her Juris Doctorate from the University of Idaho in 2017. Maria currently lives in Santa Maria, California and serves as Senior Immigration Attorney at the Immigrant Legal Defense Center (ILDC), a nonprofit organization that provides free legal services for people in removal proceedings. Maria litigates cases before the immigration court to ensure immigrant families stay together in the United States, free from threats of deportation. Maria also leads advocacy efforts at the ILDC, supporting and promoting policies that uplift immigrant communities at the local and state level.

Maria is a board member for Future Leaders of America and serves as an ICE Out of Ventura County steering committee member. In her free time, Maria enjoys spending time with her curious and independent five-year-old son, Phoenix.

Teresa Arredondo is the President and CEO of ArtCraft Paint, a renowned aircraft painting and restoration company based in Santa Maria, California. Under her leadership, ArtCraft Paint has earned National and international recognition for its innovation and craftsmanship, transforming aircraft of all sizes into works of art.

Teresa’s journey into aviation and entrepreneurship was shaped by determination and a deep commitment to excellence. She built ArtCraft Paint into a globally recognized

company while balancing multiple responsibilities, demonstrating the power of focus, perseverance, and leadership.

Her story reminds us that success is achieved through hard work and resilience, and that dedication can turn challenges into extraordinary opportunities.