Abany Aguilar is a first-generation student currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance at the University of Colorado Boulder's Leeds School of Business. He also holds a Minor in Multicultural Leadership Studies, reflecting his commitment to inclusive leadership and cross-cultural engagement.

At CU Boulder, Abany is an active and dedicated member of the campus community. As President of ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals for America), he leads strategic planning and programming for a chapter of 30+ members, connecting emerging professionals with meaningful careers in corporate finance and banking. His leadership within ALPFA exemplifies his passion for uplifting underrepresented voices in the financial industry.
 

Outside of his professional pursuits, Abany is an avid traveler and outdoor enthusiast. He enjoys volleyball, soccer, hiking, backpacking, and running, alongside creative interests such as piano and photography. Bilingual in English and Spanish, he brings both cultural fluency and authentic connection to every community he is part of.

Briana Aguilera is a Junior at Columbia University pursuing a degree in Hispanic Studies with a minor in Education Studies. As a bilingual Mexican American student, mentor, and student advocate raised between Tijuana, Mexico, and San Diego, California, Bri’s transborder experience has shaped her commitment to educational equity, language access, and community empowerment. She has served as a Peer Mentor for the First-Year Experience program, supporting students through academic guidance, bilingual outreach, and resource navigation.

Briana is also actively involved in mentorship and leadership initiatives that uplift first-generation, low-income, and Latinx students. Her academic interests include bilingual education, Latinx identity, student support systems, and access to higher education. Additionally, On her free time she has dedicated time to peer coach for students on admission essays and guidance through the university application process. 

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Through her work, Briana is dedicated to creating spaces where students feel seen, supported, and capable of thriving in higher education. She plans to pursue a Master of Education and become a college counselor focused on expanding access and opportunity for underrepresented communities

Edgar Becerra is a first-generation college student at Santa Monica College completing Associate Degrees for Transfer in Psychology and Communications. He will be transferring to a University of California campus to continue his studies in Communications, focusing on how messaging, behavior, and systems shape access and opportunity.

Erick Carrasco is a first-generation college student and third-year undergraduate at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he studies Political Science. He has also studied abroad at the University of Glasgow and Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, developing a global perspective on law and policy.

Erick plans to pursue a Juris Doctor degree and build a career in immigration law, with a focus on advocating for immigrant communities and expanding access to legal resources. During his time at UCLA and abroad, he has worked with immigration law firms, supporting asylum cases, conducting legal research, and translating for Spanish-speaking families.

In addition to his legal experience, Erick is committed to mentorship and educational access, helping first-year and transfer students navigate the college application process by sharing resources and guidance. In the summer of 2026, Erick will intern with the NextGen Summer Policy Academy at the UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy, where he will focus on law and public policy.

Franciszek Wiercigroch is a student at Pomona College studying Computer Science with a minor in Data Science. As a first-generation college student, he is passionate about expanding access to education, mentorship, and career opportunities for students from underrepresented backgrounds.

Joseph Golla is a student at San Diego State University, majoring in Computer Science. He is the co-founder of Our Yard, a community-driven platform designed to connect students and local businesses by making it easier to share resources, offer services, and support local needs. The idea behind Our Yard came from recognizing how disconnected communities have become, and aiming to create a more collaborative and accessible space where people can help one another.

Jose Regalado is a Junior at Columbia University studying Psychology, Human Rights and Music. Born in Ecuador and reallocated to New York at 16, Jose has long been committed to uplifting low-income and immigrant communities through his love for volunteer work, advocacy and music. He is passionate about providing his skills on legal research, community planning and restorative practices to organizations that are providing youth form marginalized communities with the opportunities to reach their full academic and professional potential.

He has put his skill to practice through his work as a Legal Intern for non-profit organizations in NYC and around the world, such as Project Rousseau and Defiende Venezuela. He serves as the co-founder and co-president of Ecuadorians at Columbia University, where he provides a home for Ecuadorian students to celebrate their culture and use their resources to give back to other immigrants in the city.

In his free time, you will find him singing, rock climbing, reading graphic novels, or producing the 2nd EP for his bossa-nova band Hunny Days!

Katya Korkees is a first-generation Iraqi student at San Diego State University, majoring in Human Resources Management with a minor in Management Information Systems. Growing up in a close-knit immigrant family, her experiences have shaped her perspective on access, opportunity, and the importance of supportive environments.

She transferred from Cuyamaca College, where she earned the Peggy Gray Spanninga Transfer Scholarship and gained early experience through internships in human resources and business operations. During her time in community college, she was selected as a student speaker at multiple campus events and served as the only student panelist on a Business Office Technology panel, where she shared her experiences with professional growth, networking, and overcoming challenges as a first-generation student.

She was also featured in a Student Success Spotlight highlighting her journey into human resources and career development. Through these experiences, she built a strong foundation in people operations, including her role with the Downtown San Diego Partnership, where she supported employee relations and organizational processes. She is passionate about creating inclusive workplace environments and aspires to build a career in human resources, with a strong interest in leveraging technology to support and improve organizational practices.

Kiersten Anderson is a junior at Washington University in St. Louis, majoring in Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology with a concentration in Cognitive Neuroscience and a minor in Writing. She follows an interdisciplinary approach that integrates philosophy and empirical research to examine how early-life experiences shape cognitive and emotional development.

Kiersten has gained research experience at the Lab for Child Brain Development on the WashU Medical Campus, where she works with EEG and fNIRS, conducts behavioral coding, and studies parent-child interactions. She has also contributed to clinical and community initiatives at St. Louis Children's Hospital and the non-profit organization, Memory Keepers. At Memory Keepers, she supported patients with cognitive decline and explored therapeutic strategies for memory retention and well-being.

Motivated by a strong interest in pediatric mental health interventions, Kiersten seeks to understand how early adversity and caregiving environments affect resilience and emotional regulation. She plans to pursue a PhD in Developmental Psychology and is dedicated to translating scientific knowledge into meaningful, real-world outcomes.

Laila Abed is a first-generation Palestinian-American student at Columbia University, majoring in Urban Studies with a specialization in public health. Her work centers on housing and land justice, community land trusts, and community wealth building, shaped by her interest in anti-displacement and long-term stewardship. At Columbia, she is the founder and president of Cities Without Borders, a coalition that makes city planning and spatial justice more accessible across disciplines. She has interned with Open Plans and the Columbus–Amsterdam Business Improvement District to support public space, small business engagement, and community-driven street design.

Lewhat Kahsay is a junior at Pomona College, majoring in Economics and Computer Science. As the daughter of Eritrean immigrants, she developed an early awareness of the opportunities unavailable to the communities her family left behind. She grew up viewing education not as a personal ambition, but as a responsibility.

Osvaldo Garcia Barron is originally from Boulder, Colorado, and is a junior at Pitzer College studying Organizational Studies and Chicanx/Latinx Studies. He is involved in the Latinx Student Union, the First Generation Club, and Residence Life. His interests include politics, history, and ethnic studies. After college, he hopes to work in social impact, government, or nonprofit sectors related to civic engagement, advocacy, policy, and community organizing. He is dedicated to supporting marginalized communities and aims to use his passion for organizing and advocacy to drive positive social change through public service.

Sebastian Morales is a junior at the University of Utah, majoring in biomedical engineering. He plans to pursue a master’s degree and hopes to develop medical devices that improve lives worldwide, especially for those with limited access to care. As a first-generation immigrant who came to the United States at age 10, Sebastian’s early experiences with limited access to healthcare inspired his commitment to making healthcare more affordable and accessible.

In addition to his academic work, he is currently involved in two medical device projects as a design engineer and hopes to contribute to many more in the future. Sebastian is also a research assistant in the Rutter Lab at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, where he supports cancer research focused on polyamine metabolism and its regulation to help identify new therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment.

Trinity Cortez-Ansley is a junior at the University of California, Davis, majoring in Cognitive Science with an emphasis in Neuroscience and minoring in Public Health. During high school, she not only graduated with honors but also earned two associate degrees (AA & AS) from Grossmont-Cuyumaca Community College in San Diego.

Currently, Trinity serves as a Campus Visits Coordinator at the UC Davis Student Recruitment & Retention Center, where she supports prospective and current students in building a sense of belonging and confidence in higher education.

On weekends, she works at Rize Up Bakery, contributing to a mission-driven space rooted in culture and resilience. Her work is shaped by a commitment to equity, student empowerment, and expanding access for underrepresented communities—values that guide both her academic interests and professional roles. Outside of work and school, Trinity continues to work on her nonprofit, Wings of Resilience, which focuses on bereavement support for teens. She also enjoys playing games on her Nintendo Switch, especially Disney Dreamlight Valley, exploring new cafés around town, and hunting for the best boba wherever she goes.

Vicky Vo is a rising senior at the University of Pennsylvania pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with minors in Bioethics and Healthcare Management. As a first-generation, low-income, queer Southeast Asian and Native Hawaiian student, her lived experiences inform her commitment to advancing health equity, legal accountability, and structural reform within healthcare systems.

Vicky’s work lies at the intersection of clinical care, public health, and law. She has conducted research on nurse staffing ratios and patient outcomes with Penn faculty and co-authored research on virtual nursing published in PubMed. She also works within a medical-legal framework to address health disparities through policy and advocacy, engaging directly with legislators on issues such as safe staffing and full practice authority for nurses.

On campus, she previously served as President of the Student Nurses at Penn, representing over 400 students and leading initiatives to expand access, mentorship, and professional development. She is also the co-founder of the Nursing Dean’s Advisory Board and is actively involved in student government, the Penn Bioethics Journal as an Associate Editor, and multiple cultural and pre-law organizations.

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Vicky plans to pursue advanced graduate training, with the long-term goal of becoming a leader in health law and policy. She is committed to building more just, accountable, and equitable healthcare systems that center the dignity and rights of marginalized