Service
Latinx in Biomechanix
Latinx in Biomechanix is a non-profit affinity group that I co-founded in the summer of 2020 with three other Ph.D. students: Jonaz Moreno Jaramillo at University of Massachusetts Amherst, Lindsey Trejo at Georgia Institute of Technology, and Ricky Pimentel at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The organization’s mission is to provide support to those who identify as Latinx and work in the biomechanics field. Additionally, we encourage allies and other affinity groups (Black Biomechanics Association and International Women in Biomechanics) to be members so that we can share our specific struggles, perspectives, and culture. This group has allowed me to connect with so many researchers in the biomechanics field and I am very excited to see our group continue to grow. You can connect with us via Instagram, Twitter or by emailing us at latinxbiomech@gmail.com.
Mentor Tech
Mentor Tech is a mentoring program that has been at Texas Tech University since 2002. The mission is to improve retention of students, especially those that are underrepresented. Mentors consist of TTU faculty, staff, and graduate students and protégés include undergraduate and graduate students. I have been a mentor since Fall 2016 and took a leadership position as a mentor leader the following Fall in 2017. After several years in the program, I have mentored two students and received an award for Mentor Leader of the Year. So far, I have mentored two brilliant students. My first protégé recently graduated with her degree in Communications in 2020 and my current protégé is still attending Texas Tech, pursuing her degree in Electrical Engineering. Majority of my time with my protégés is spent informing them of opportunities that are offered on campus, encouraging them to join student organizations to find a sense of community with other students, and serving as a role model of academic success. As a first-generation college student, I feel compelled to share my knowledge and experience with the incoming generation of students so that they may flourish. Being a part of this organization has been incredibly rewarding and has given me a taste of what it will be like to mentor future students as a professor or future colleagues as a leader. Regardless of where my career leads me, I know that I want to always be involved with mentoring in some capacity.
