LEAF Mentor Spotlight: Mayra Lopez
Mayra Lopez is a third-year student at San Jose State University, majoring in Child and Adolescent Development. She is currently working as a mentor in the College Success Program and interning in the Family Engagement Program.
Mayra has previously worked as a Teaching Fellow at Breakthrough, where she taught an elective class that focused on Latino culture. She created a supportive learning environment where students could explore their heritage and identities. Additionally, Mayra served as the Master of Ceremonies for the "Are you Smarter Than Break Through Students" Fundraiser.
As a Teaching Fellow, Mayra had the opportunity to attend various PD workshops and Career Panels that allowed her to connect with professionals working in the education field.
Recently, Mayra joined the ELLA Program at the Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley. This is a six-month program that focuses on enhancing leadership and civic engagement skills through both virtual and in-person sessions.
“In high school I honestly had no clue on what I wanted to do with my life, much less what major or job I wanted to have in college. Attending SJSU and finding all these different opportunities available made me sort of find a pathway on what I want to achieve, I may not have the clearest path or have everything figured out but I know that hard work pays off and as long as I am doing something that aligns with my personal values I will always feel fulfilled.” - Mayra Lopez
“I have always enjoyed working with children. I actually entered college with a political science major but my professional journey made me gravitate back to teaching and working around organizations that focus on education equity and it just made me fall in love with the work that these organizations do. I am not the most sure about a straight career path but I do know that I want to continue working alongside people who use their voices to speak up about the injustices in the school systems. Perhaps start off with a teaching job and see what I can learn from that then move on to a more advocative position.” - Mayra Lopez
