Jacqueline Guerra

Ford Driving Dreams Alum

My name is Jacqueline Guerra and I am a first-generation Latina graduate. I graduated summa cum laude from Texas A&M University—College Station with a Bachelor’s of Arts in International Studies and a minor in Arabic Studies in May 2020. As an undergraduate student I studied abroad in Morocco on fully funded academic scholarships. I was a member of the Council of Minority Student Affairs (CMSA) and a mentor for first-generation college students through a program named Aggies Collegiates Ready To Explore the World (ACREW). Most recently, I completed an internship for a nonprofit organization called the Brazos Interfaith Immigration Network (BIIN), whom advocate for the immigrant community and provides access to legal, educational and social services.

I have a passion for serving marginalized communities and look forward to applying my studies to state and local government. This upcoming fall semester I will be a first year graduate student at the Texas A&M Bush School of Government and Public Service. I will be working towards obtaining my Masters in Public Service and Administration with an emphasis in Public Management.

I have been impacted by the LULAC organization in numerous of ways, from participating in the FDD program my senior year of highschool, to actively being part of our LULAC adult council. I am living proof of the positive impact they have on students like myself who are first-generation and Latinx. I attribute my academic and personal success to organizations like LULAC who have provided me with the services to be able to stay involved and active in my community.

I had the honor of attending state and national conventions and have enjoyed my time spent volunteering and assisting at the preregistration booths. I was also able to facilitate the voting polls on election day during the summer national convention in Phoenix, Arizona. As a council we attended various professional and education trainings that were offered during the state and local conventions that allowed me to grow as a student and individual. I was able to listen and learn from individuals who hold certain positions of power in LULAC; I listened to lawyers, government officials, and public servants discuss their journeys and the need to advance and advocate for the economic and social conditions of the Latinx community in the United States. The LULAC organization has allowed me to meet individuals from all over the country who all share a common goal of ensuring the Latinx community is represented throughout the country.

I take pride in being Latina and want to continue being an advocate of change by confronting the issues marginalized communities face. I am inspired to become an advocate of change in the community and work in state and local government. I am still involved with BIIN and currently volunteering with their “Linea Amiga” hotline that provides access to information and references to services for COVID-19 in Spanish, to assist the local community in Bryan and College Station during the pandemic. In all, I have loved and enjoyed my involvement with LULAC. The organization has provided me with numerous experiences and helped fund my undergraduate schooling, which is why I am so grateful to be a part of LULAC.

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