Patty D. Mendoza is a first generation Xicana, daughter of immigrant parents from Guadalajara, Jalisco. Having been born and raised in Los Angeles has shaped her passion for education, social justice, and educational equity.
Patty holds an A.A from Long Beach City College, B.A. in Chicanx Studies and Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley and M.A. in Chicanx Studies from California State University, Northridge. During her time at Berkeley, you could find Patty hanging out at the Transfer Student Center or Student Support Services office receiving support or getting to know some of the wonderful staff there.
Patty’s passion for educational equity has provided her with the opportunity to work in both public and private universities across the country for the past 10 years’, including the University of California, San Diego, University of Pennsylvania, and Dartmouth College.
Patty currently serves as the Director, Alumni Network at Reality Changers, a college readiness nonprofit based in San Diego, which serves first-generation and low-income students. Patty has the pleasure of working with program graduates supporting them through their personal, collegiate, and professional journeys.
In her free time, Patty volunteers with MANA de San Diego and enjoys participating in Berkeley alumni events. Go Osos!
Oswaldo Rosales, c/o 2015
Oswaldo Rosales was born and raised in San Diego's Barrio Logan. After dropping out of high school at the age of 15, he became a graffiti artist and eventually, a more traditional exhibiting artist. He exhibited his neo-expressionist, urban art work throughout the US. After working as an exhibiting artist and then a carpenter, Oswaldo decided to return to school to earn a GED and pursue a college education. He earned an associate degree in anthropology with high honors from San Diego City College and worked there as a researcher of classroom dynamics before transferring to Cal.
Upon arriving at Cal, Oswaldo pursued his undergraduate degree in psychology with specializations in clinical and social psychology. He conducted research as a member of a social psychology lab at the Institute of Personality and Social Research on inequality, awe, ethics and other social factors. After graduating from Cal with high honors in 2015, he worked as a writing tutor and mentor at San Diego City College and as a research assistant for a lab at the Institute for Behavioral and Community Health on several National Institute of Health (NIH) studies exploring health disparities and related psychological factors in Latina/os .
Oswaldo currently lives in San Diego and is preparing for graduate programs in social and quantitative psychology. He plans to pursue a doctorate degree and focus his research on cognitive and philosophical differences across cultures and their implications in the educational sector and other key social domains.
Oliver Osuna, c/o 2013
Oliver Osuna was born and raised in San Diego's south county, including Chula Vista, San Ysidro, Imperial Beach and across the border in Tijuana. Upon graduating from Otay Ranch High School, he attended Southwestern College where he joined the Puente Project. During this time, he took an active role at the community college as a student leader for the college's student government.
Upon arriving at Cal, Oliver pursued his undergraduate degree in history with a specialization in Modern Latin America. His senior thesis examined the role of international mercenaries in the Baja California insurrection of 1911. Oliver's research took him to Mexico City, where he conducted his study at the Mexican General Archives. He also traveled abroad, exploring Berlin, Germany and Paris, France. Oliver graduated UC Berkeley in 2013.
Oliver currently resides in Chula Vista and is preparing to apply for graduate school and the Foreign Service Officer's test. He plans to pursue a master's degree in International Relations with an emphasis on Latin American security issues.
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