Carlos Hernandez is a Chancellor’s Scholar and double-major in political science and Spanish, while pursuing minors in legal Studies and Latina/Latino studies. During summer 2026, he interned with Illinois Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García through the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) Congressional Internship Program.
Spotlights
Cecelia Escobar is a senior majoring in Latina/Latino studies and political science. During summer 2026, she interned with the Illinois Department of Labor as an outreach intern through the Michael Curry Summer Internship Program.
Katherine Garcia is a junior double majoring in Latina/Latino studies and political science with a minor in business. During the summer of 2026, she interned in three Illinois legislative offices as part of the NextGen Scholars for Change Public Service Internship program.
Juju is a psychology and Latina/Latino studies major. After graduation they will take a gap year and gain experience teaching students in elementary school before pursuing a PhD in psychology or Chicana/o studies.
Bela Barragan is a Latina/Latino studies major with minors in Spanish and business. After graduation she plans to get an internship in a community/nonprofit organization that serves the Latino community.
Richard is a Latina/Latino studies and political science major with a minor in minoritarian aesthetics. After he graduates, he will do a summer research internship with McNair, and apply for Ph.D. programs in Latina/ Latino Studies or Chicana/Chicano Studies.
Elena Guzman is an Afro-Boricua documentary filmmaker, educator, and anthropologist. She is currently writing her book manuscript tentatively titled, "Chimera Geographies: Spiritual Borderland Performances of the Afro-Caribbean," which focuses on the way Black women and non-binary people throughout the African diaspora use ritual performance in African diaspora religions.
C. Lucio (BA, '17, Latina/Latino studies and anthropology) is the executive assistant to the general superintendent for participatory budgeting at the Chicago Park District. Their undergraduate degrees are the foundation of their community-centered approach to participatory budgeting. They said LLS and anthropology provided them with a critical lens and historical context to understand how power...
Jasmin Patrón-Vargas (BA, '15, Latina/Latino studies and gender and women's studies) is an assistant professor of teaching, learning, and culture at Texas A&M University. Her research examines how educational systems can better serve minoritized communities.
Gabriela G. Corona Valencia explores the bridge between 20th-century eugenic policy in the American Southwest and the contemporary sex education discourse disseminated to Chicana/Latina girls in K-12 public schools in East Los Angeles.