Celebrating our 2026 Minors

Congratulations to the Class of 2026!  

We are looking forward to welcoming you and your loved ones to our LSP commencement ceremony. Soon, we will have the chance to celebrate you and all the hard work and dedication that have brought you to this momentous occasion. We are so proud of how much you’ve learned and grown and are certain that you will accomplish great things in the world. ¡Felicidades!

Rebeca Hey-Colón, Director
Marti Dense, Program Administrator
Zucy Ortega, Events Coordinator/Program Assistant
Simon Velasquez, LSSO Advisor/Assistant Dean

Laura Caicedo

Major, Minors: PhD in English Language and Literature. Minors in Latina/o Studies, Women's and Gender Studies, Medieval and Renaissance Studies

Honors and acknowledgments: Teaching Assistant for the Latinx Studies Program for multiple semesters. Student of Professors Debra Castillo and Sofia Villenas. Instructor of many years to wonderful FWS students.

Short and Long Term Post-graduation/Career plans: Publish my dissertation as a fully formed book. Move back to Colombia. Teach at international schools and universities.

What has the LSP minor meant to you? The LSP minor has meant so much to me over the years that it's almost hard to articulate it. Not only did the minor allow me to find a safe place to most truly be myself at Cornell, it also gave me the opportunity to meet countless faculty and students who have shaped who I am as a scholar and as a teacher. My gratitude to the many people who make LSP what it is - a home.

What do you expect to remember best from your Cornell experience? The people.
 

Nylicia Campos

America Casanova

Major, Minors: English (Honors), American Studies, History, and Government. Minor in Latino/a Studies.

Honors and acknowledgments: I am a Posse Full-Tuition Scholarship recipient and a Dean's List honoree from Fall 2023 through Fall 2025. Throughout my time at Cornell, I have been fortunate to earn a place in some of the most competitive legal spaces in the country, from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and Georgetown Law's Investigative Internship Program to Harvard Law School, where I contributed research to the forthcoming Law of Asylum 2026 Edition under Professor Deborah E. Anker. I am also proud to be completing my senior thesis on mother-daughter relationships as a final capstone of my undergraduate career.

Short and Long Term Post-graduation/Career plans: Upon graduating from Cornell, I am excited to begin my career as a paralegal at a small civil rights firm in New York City, where I will continue deepening my experience at the intersection of criminal and immigration law. This role feels like a natural and meaningful next step before pursuing law school, where I hope to build on the advocacy skills I have developed throughout my undergraduate years. Long term, I aspire to represent underrepresented individuals navigating both the criminal justice and immigration systems, working toward equitable outcomes for communities like my own.

What has the LSP minor meant to you? As a member of a small Latinx community on campus, Cornell can sometimes feel isolating, and finding a sense of home here is not always easy. The Latino/a Studies minor gave me exactly that. Through this minor, I was able to share spaces with people who understood my experiences in a way that felt rare and deeply comforting. It also gave academic language and depth to things I had lived firsthand as a first-generation Mexican immigrant, helping me see my own story as something worthy of scholarly attention. More than any credential, this minor reminded me that my identity is not something to set aside in professional or academic spaces, but something to bring forward with pride.

What do you expect to remember best from your Cornell experience? What I will remember most from my Cornell experience is the people. Every person I have met here, whether they made a large impact or a small one, has shaped who I am in ways I could not have anticipated. I came to Cornell as one person and am leaving as someone entirely different, and I mean that in the most beautiful way. Freshman year me would be in absolute shock, and I am so deeply grateful for every bit of that growth.
 

Victoria Abigail Badillo Cordero

Major, Minors: Biology and Society. Minor in Latino Studies.

Honors and acknowledgments: As an undergraduate at Cornell, my greatest community involvement was through my role as Co-Founder and Co-President of RISE UP (Realizing Integration, Support, and Education for Underserved Populations). I was a Hispanic Scholarship Fund scholar and had the privilege of attending the National Leadership Conference and returning to the Youth Leadership Institute as a mentor. Additionally, I was a National Name Exchange participant, a 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Memorial Scholarship recipient, and made the Dean’s List three times. 

Short and Long Term Post-graduation/Career plans: I spent Spring 2026 continuing my undergraduate research in the Kimura Lab at Cornell CVM, and will soon begin working as a research technician in the Bernstein Lab at the University of Pennsylvania. In a couple years, I hope to attend an MD-PhD program, with the eventual goal of becoming research faculty and running my own lab as a physician-scientist. 

What has the LSP minor meant to you? Coming from Los Angeles, the LSP minor gave me an opportunity to stay connected to my heritage and the Latine community at Cornell. I have really enjoyed learning more about Latine history and the diaspora, and the courses allowed me to explore and better understand my own identity.

What do you expect to remember best from your Cornell experience? Cornell was my first time away from family, and I am grateful for their support throughout this chapter of my educational journey. From my Cornell experience, I will remember the friendships I made and connections to faculty that have allowed me to grow both personally and professionally. 

Areli Esparza

Major, Minors:  Psychology. Minors in Latina/o Studies and Mathematics

Honors and acknowledgments: Executive Director of the Cornell Concert Commission, Fuerst Award 2026 winner, Senior Thesis on Morality and Possibility in the WyLab, Dean's List Spring 2023-Spring 2025, Crisis Text Line Crisis Counselor 

Short and Long Term Post-graduation/Career plans: I plan to pursue a Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology. From there, I hope to become a clinical child psychologist.

What has the LSP minor meant to you? The LSP minor has been a great opportunity to expand my knowledge and understanding of the Latina/o community. I've connected with so many people through this program and have become more in touch with my culture because of it.

What do you expect to remember best from your Cornell experience? The thing I will remember the most is the people I've met here. I've met so many wonderful people here at Cornell both within and outside the classroom that have made tangible impacts on me.

Lyrianne Gonzalez

Major, Minors: PhD in History Minor in Latina/o Studies.

Honors and acknowledgments: La Asociación Latina Graduate Líder Award; Latino Graduate Student Coalition E-Board; Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlán (MEChA) Advisor; Deanne Gebell Gitner ’66 and Family Annual Prize for Teaching Assistants; Provost Diversity Fellowship for Advanced Doctoral Students; Graduate School Dean’s Scholar; American Association of University Women Dissertation Fellowship; Smithsonian Latino Museum Studies Fellowship; Public History Initiative Inaugural Graduate Fellow; Hispanic Scholarship Fund Scholar; Graduate and Professional Students Diversity Council Council member.

Short and Long Term Post-graduation/Career plans: After graduation, I will become a Post-Doctoral Fellow in Dartmouth's Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Studies Department. Long term, I plan to become a professor and/or curator.

What has the LSP minor meant to you? After completing an undergraduate degree in Chicana/o Studies, the LSP minor enabled me to learn more broadly about the U.S. Latinx experience. The minor was incredibly critical to my scholarly development and personal identity as someone who is half Mexican and half Colombian.

What do you expect to remember best from your Cornell experience? I am eternally grateful for the incredible support and guidance I received from various professors, programs, and departments. Their support enabled me to transform and flourish immensely.

Jossanny Mariel Goris Rosario

Major, Minors: Psychology. Minors in Latina/o Studies and Education.

Honors and acknowledgments: I got the Hispanic Scholarship Fund award. I pursued an education minor because of my future interest in working with kids, and I used what I learned in relation to the types of jobs I applied for. Lastly, I was part of the Braven Accelerator Fellowship program, which helped me develop professionally.

Short and Long Term Post-graduation/Career plans: I plan to take a gap year to work and wait until the next cycle of grad school applications. I also plan to apply to grad school and get into a school psychology program. I want to work as a school psychologist with bilingual certification and support kids from diverse communities within the school system. 
  
What has the LSP minor meant to you? The LSP minor has meant learning about my roots as someone from the Dominican Republic and about history that I wouldn’t have learned in regular history classes. I was able to learn about many different underrepresented groups in history as well. Lastly, I was able to work with a diverse group of peers, talk about their experiences as students with Latinx roots, and learn from them. 
 
What do you expect to remember best from your Cornell experience? I expect to remember best from Cornell the friendships that I made over the four years. Especially my friends who live all over the US, since I think we met by chance, and they truly made my experience at this school great. I also think I will remember my LSP professors in a positive light, especially for their strong involvement in the LSP minor and the sense of community they bring to us, students.

Katherine Irwin

 Major, Minors: Government and American Studies. Minors in Latino Studies, Inequality Studies, and Law & Society.

Short and Long Term Post-graduation/Career plans: I am attending law school in the fall in New York City to get my JD.  As for long term, I hope to become a criminal defense attorney and work on wrongful conviction cases throughout the United States.

What has the LSP minor meant to you? The Latino Studies minor has been especially meaningful to me as a Puerto Rican student, because it’s given me the opportunity to see my own history and culture reflected and valued in the classroom. Learning about experiences that resonate with my own has made the material feel personal and empowering. It’s also been a space where I’ve been able to connect with other Latino students, build community, and have conversations that go beyond academics. Overall, the minor has meant so much to me, and I feel so grateful Cornell gives us the opportunity to celebrate our culture. 

What do you expect to remember best from your Cornell experience? The saying "the people make the place" resonates deeply withme.  The poeple I've met here whether in classes or those who have become my best friends, have become my community and support system. I'm so honored to have met such wonderful people here at Cornell, and I hope to continue these relationships after graduatin and throughout my life. 

Elizabeth Lara Rivera

Henry Martinez Flores

Major, Minors and Concentration: Biological Sciences. Concentration in General Biolory. Minor in Latina/o Studies

Honors and acknowledgments: Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), Pre-Professional Programs (P3), Cayuga Medical Center Mobility Aide, BIOMI 2911 Teaching Assistant

Short and Long Term Post-graduation/Career plans: After graduating, I plan to complete a post-baccalaureate program in New York City to further strengthen my academic preparation for medical school. During this time, I also intend to obtain my nursing assistant license and work in a hospital setting to continue building clinical experience. I hope to remain involved in community service and give back through volunteering. Ultimately, I plan to take the MCAT, attend medical school, and pursue a career as a dermatologist.

What has the LSP minor meant to you? Completing the LSP minor has been a meaningful part of my Cornell experience. At times, Cornell can feel isolating due to the limited representation of Latino students, but this minor allowed me to find community and build connections with others who share similar backgrounds. Through Latino Studies courses, I have gained a deeper understanding of the history, struggles, and resilience of the Latino community. This knowledge has helped me better understand my own identity and how these experiences continue to shape my life today.

What do you expect to remember best from your Cornell experience? What I will remember most from Cornell is the relationships I built with friends and faculty, as well as the personal growth I experienced. My time here has helped me become more independent and confident in navigating new challenges. Cornell has taught me valuable lessons that I will carry into my everyday life. I also hope to apply what I have learned as a Biological Sciences major and Latino Studies minor in my future career and contributions to my community.
 

Rafael Montán

Major, Minors: Government, American Studied. Minors in Latina/o Studies, and History

Honors and acknowledgments: In 2023, I helped restart the Cornell chapter of the Committee on US-Latin American Relations (CUSLAR), serving as President for three years. Under my leadership, CUSLAR was nominated for a Perkins Prize in Spring 2025! I've also served as Co-President of the Puerto Rican Students Association (PRSA), been a leader in the Basic Needs Coalition, been a member of the State Policy Advocacy Clinic in Brooks, and am a P3 Scholar.

Short and Long Term Post-graduation/Career plans: I hope to be in the legal field post-graduation, whether that be in law school or getting paralegal experience. I ultimately intend to be an immigration attorney, a lifelong dream of mine. 

What has the LSP minor meant to you? The Latina/o Studies Program has been one of my homes at Cornell since engaging with it in my sophomore year. I've had the incredible opportunity to learn under leading scholars in Latina/o Studies, and I met my advisor and academic mentor, Prof. María Cristina García. LSP gave me the space to learn more about my Puerto Rican and Ecuadorian heritage, and introduced me to a community of young scholars who look like me. I am ever-grateful for being able to study my history, my culture, and my people; I now have the vocabulary and context to advocate for them and others in my future.

What do you expect to remember best from your Cornell experience? When I look back upon my time at Cornell, I will remember best the people who made this place a home for four years. Friends who changed my worldview and faculty who challenged me: the people who wanted me to succeed. I will remember the first time I wore a guayabera and pava at a PRSA x CUSLAR event, and I will remember the hot cup of Abuelita's Prof. Suárez brought to class one cold morning. I cannot thank enough the support and mentorship that friends and faculty have given me. I hope to take their lessons as I move forward.

Darwin Joel Mordan

Major, Minors: Electrical & Computer Engineering. Minors in Latina/o Studies and Mathematics.

Honors and acknowledgments: I've been on the Executive Board for Quisqueya (The Dominican Students Association) for all four years at Cornell in different roles: starting out as Freshman Representative and then Programming Chair, leading up to becoming Co-President my Junior year before being the Treasurer my Senior year. Additionally, I have served as the Chapter President for the Chi Chapter of Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity Inc.

Short and Long Term Post-graduation/Career plans: I am planning on going to an education fellowship to get my Master's in Education and/or Certification in Teaching. With that, I hope to become a High School Mathematics teacher.

What has the LSP minor meant to you? The LSP minor has meant a lot for me, and has helped keep my class schedules more engaging and fun. I'm someone who tends to prefer STEM classes and didn't find as much enjoyment in history or reading-based courses. This changed with the LSP courses: each one I've taken has been exciting, engaging, and fun, while also being highly educational. I loved the amazing discussions that happen in all my classes, and every professor I've learned from has an incredible amount of knowledge that they're able to share with students.

What do you expect to remember best from your Cornell experience? I expect to remember a lot of the fun times I had with my friends and members of Cornell's Latino community. From Fridays with Faculty/Alumni and hanging out in the LSP lounge to attending events across Greek and Latino organizations, those memories will definitely help me look back on my time at Cornell fondly.

Anthony Nicholas Pizana

Laura Reilly-Sanchez

Ivette Reyes

Major, Minors and Concentrations:  English, Anthropology, and American Studies. Concentrations in Latino/Ethnic Studies and American Institutions. Minors in Latina/o Studies and Education.

Honors and acknowledgments: Nexus Scholar Researcher, Freedman Award Recipient, Dean's List, President of GVA, President of Kitsch Magazine, CLASP partner, Teaching Assistant for FWS, Cornell Writing Center tutor and panelist

Short and Long Term Post-graduation/Career plans: I plan to continue my education by pursuing an Associate's degree in Paralegal Studies. I hope to earn my PhD in English or American Studies. My ultimate goal is to become a humanities professor and a policy influencer in education through research, teaching, and advocacy. 

What has the LSP minor meant to you? The LSP minor has helped me learn more about myself, others, and the world around me. It has deepened my understanding of history, culture, and human experiences while shaping my thoughts on how to create better futures. 

What do you expect to remember best from your Cornell experience? I will remember the mentorship, research, and intellectual opportunities here at Cornell. I am especially grateful to Mary Pat Brady, Saida Hodžić, Rebeca Hey-Colón, Sofia Villenas, Susan Gloss, and Jenny Tindall for supporting and challenging me, academically and personally.

Giovanny Rodriguez

Major, Minors and Concentrations:  Global Development. Concentration in Social and Economic Development. Minor in Latina/o and Migration Studies.
 
Honors and acknowledgments:  Member of the inaugural cohort of the Foreign Affairs Internship Program, now known as the Nancy Pelosi Fellowship Program. Recipient of the U.S. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) Group Franklin Award. Studied abroad in France, Uruguay, and China. Selected for the prestigious McNair Scholars Program.

Short and Long Term Post-graduation/Career plans:  I will be pursuing an MA/Ph.D. in Communication at UC Santa Barbara.

What has the LSP minor meant to you?  Through the Latina/o Studies minor, I have come to recognize the overlooked stories of those who came before me. It has not only provided me with a strong sense of community and a safe intellectual space to learn, but it has also deepened my understanding of the complexities of Latina/os in the United States, an understanding that now shapes the scholarship I hope to pursue in graduate school.

What do you expect to remember best from your Cornell experience? I will remember the friendships, memories, and challenges that shaped my journey. Throughout the rollercoaster of Cornell, I would not have succeeded without the support of Monica Cornejo and the incredible staff of the Latina/o Studies Program.
 

Kendra Solano

Shaunjae Moz Suarez

Major, Minors and Concentrations: Physics. Concentration in Computer Science. Minor in Latina/o Studies. 

Honors and acknowledgments: Recipient of the Reba-Getz Scholarship, a four-year scholarship totalling $6,000; the McNair Scholar Summer Research Award, a $5,000 stipend to continue research projects over the 2025 summer term. 

Short and Long Term Post-graduation/Career plans:  After graduation, I plan to start my doctoral studies at CU Boulder in the School of Education within the Learning Sciences and Human Development program. I intend to work under the guidance of Professor Bill Penuel in the iSAT lab and Professor Kalonji Nzinga. Long term I wish to start my pre-tenure track to eventually obtain professorship. 
   
What has the LSP minor meant to you? The LSP minor has been the difference between enjoying and loving my time her at Cornell. The classes offered by the LSP minor have been inspiring, engaging, and impossibly pivotal in my doctoral studies path. My switch from a pure undergraduate degree in Physics to STEM Education Technologies was informed by the numerous Latina/o Studies courses that expanded and nurtured the critical lens I take to now my STEM studies. I have gained a much deeper appreciation for the humanities and their detrimental importance to creating a better future, and a world where true equality is not an idea, but a goal to reach in our lifetimes.

What do you expect to remember best from your Cornell experience?  I anticipate remembering my first summer spent in Ithaca during the Pre-collegiate Scholars Summer Program that occurred before my first year. It was strangely impressionable and introduced me to many spaces that I still visit today. One being the Latina/o Studies Program Center on the 4th floor of Rockefeller. Our tour of the center afforded me the opportunity to intern there for my four years; my position there connected me deeply to the communities here on campus, leading me to join clubs and events that I would otherwise would have never interacted with. The summer before my freshman year would definitely be the moment I recall best from my experience here at Cornell.

Ximena Toxqui

Sebastián Young

Major, Minors: Industrial and Labor Relations. Minors in Latina/o Studies, Latin American Studies, Law and Society, Migration Studies, and Spanish

Honors and acknowledgments: As a member of the Cornell Speech Team, I attended the 2026 International Forensics Association Tournament in Athens, Greece, where I was a World Semifinalist in Dramatic Interpretation, out of 82 entries. I then competed at the 2026 American Forensics Association National Speech Tournament in Portland, Oregon, where I was a Quarterfinalist in Program Oral Interpretation, placing in the Top 20 out of 89 entries. I also became a national finalist, placing 5th out of 101 entries in Dramatic Interpretation. Both of my performances advocated for the Latino community; my Dramatic Interpretation focused on protecting NYC street vendors as ICE raids permeate the country. In my Program Oral Interpretation, I sought to advocate for the prevention of unlawful deportation flights of migrants to third countries, as well as to the maximum-security prison in El Salvador, Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT). These are topics that I would not have learned about, nor would I have been given a platform to advocate for, without the LSP curriculum and the Cornell Speech Team.

Short and Long Term Post-graduation/Career plans: Upon graduation, I will return to the Bay Area to pursue an opportunity as a paralegal at a boutique civil rights law firm in San Francisco. I will continue pursuing my passion of working in the public interest legal sector to support class action lawsuits seeking to protect those negatively impacted and harmed by California's carceral system. My plan is to work for a few years before attending law school to become a public interest attorney supporting and uplifting marginalized communities while utilizing my bilingual and biliterate skills.

What has the LSP minor meant to you? Connecting and learning from faculty and staff in LSP has helped me foster a home away from home. When arriving in Ithaca in August 2022, I was worried that there was a small Latino community and that it would be difficult to find people who like me at this institution. While our community begins expanding throughout Ithaca, I was incredibly happy that I found a supportive place that offers a space to think critically and be intellectually challenged while learning about my Latinidad. I am especially grateful to Zucy and Dr. María Cristina García for always being welcoming and encouraging. I am grateful that, through the LSP minor, I had the privilege to be in classrooms and research spaces where I had professors who looked like me and with whom I could connect to create a strong mentorship.

What do you expect to remember best from your Cornell experience? My most bittersweet experiences were those where I embraced and expressed my Mexican identity and culture, connecting with my peers over our shared heritage. I am grateful to all the Latino professors who taught courses that helped me discover my love and passion for Latin American literature, history, and poetry such as Dra. García, Dra. Troconis Gonzalez and Dr. Paz-Soldán. I will fondly remember taking on leadership roles in the Mexican Students’ Association (MexSA) in all my four years, including hosting our annual jaripeo and quinceañera. MexSA provided a space to share my Mexican culture and identity with the greater campus. I also loved singing “Guadalajara” with the Cornell University Glee Club for our Fall concert in November 2025. Inspired by this exposure to Spanish and Latin music, I joined Mariachi Regional to sing “Hermoso Cariño” and “El Destino” with my friend, Anna Cecilia Fierro ’27, in April 2026. All of these memories would not have been possible without the support of LSP fostering experiences for students to embrace their Latinidad.

Mateo Valdillez

Major, Minors:  Environment and Sustainability. Concentration in Governance and Policy. Minor in Latino Studies.

Honors and acknowledgments: I was honored 2nd place for the Biddy Martin Prize for my essay “ A comparison of Machismo in Cuba in the 16th, 20th, and 21st Century”

Short and Long Term Post-graduation/Career plans: I’m headed to San Francisco to work as a paralegal at Cotchett, Pitre,& McCarthy llp. I hope to continue my research and advocacy of my community through legal processes and support. 

What has the LSP minor meant to you? It’s been so valuable to dive into the history of Latinidad both in and outside of the United States, it’s informed my studies at Cornell and really helped me to think critically in my other course work. The community and resources I have been met with through LSP were game changing and I am so appreciative. 

What do you expect to remember best from your Cornell experience? I am going to remember the grit that it took to get here and the people I met once I did . Cornell is a really amazing place and I’m so lucky to have met the people I did on my journey in growing and becoming a young adult. 

Melissa Zabala

Major, Minors: Psychology. Minor in Latina/o Studies 

Honors and acknowledgments: I participated in a service-learning trip through MEDLIFE Cornell, where I helped deliver medical care to low-income, underprivileged communities in Peru. I later served on the E-Board as the SLT coordinator. I was also a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS), where I got the opportunity to build a valuable relationship with a younger mentee. Seeing my mentee reach her potential and build her confidence was an invaluable experience I am grateful to have contributed to. 

Short and Long Term Post-graduation/Career plans: Currently, I am looking to enter the workforce in a mental health setting to support underprivileged communities in getting access to mental health care. In the future, I hope to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology and become a clinician, helping Latino/a/x communities address their mental health concerns.

What has the LSP minor meant to you? The LSP minor has allowed me to find a home away from home. Coming to Cornell was a significant shift. Through the Latino Studies Program, not only did I get the opportunity to learn more about my cultural history, but I also connected with fellow Latino/a/x peers, professors, and faculty, which made my experience here feel more familiar. Pursuing the minor has truly elevated my experience at Cornell, creating a safe space to learn about my culture and connect with fellow Latinos.

What do you expect to remember best from your Cornell experience? Cornell challenged me and pushed me to step out of my comfort zone, exploring new academic interests, people, and things. Though this made me a better scholar and allowed me to develop a stronger mindset, above all else, I leave with the valuable friendships I built over the years. Without them, Cornell would not have been the same.