Alumni

Mario Lucero (he/him) is an experienced Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) practitioner with a passion for supporting diverse communities and advocating for social justice across the spectrum. Mario’s work at UIC’s Office of Diversity as Director of Inclusion Initiatives, includes supporting the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Engagement, and working with academic units to navigate retention, such as providing program infrastructure to recruit and mentor underrepresented faculty hires. Additionally, Mario is responsible for campus initiatives that deepen and increase DEI efforts for students, faculty, and staff.

Mario earned an MA in Latin American & Latino Studies (LALS) in 2013 from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), and a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Media Arts & Design from the Art Institutes in 2008. Mario has two daughters and two sons, and enjoys biking, soccer, tennis, camping, and taking care of his 100+ houseplants that he calls The Jungle in honor of the barrio where he grew up.

How a MA in LALS helped you

With the help of LALS, I developed a research project in collaboration with an expert in Afro-Latinx Studies. In addition, as a LALS graduate student, I was able to be in community con mi gente. If I would have stayed in the Pacific Northwest to pursue my graduate education, I wouldn’t have been exposed to the spaces that LALS created and facilitated. With the expertise and support of faculty, I was able to investigate the invisibility of the Afro-descent population in Mexico. Through the research process and journey, I was able to create a public programming event in collaboration with the Latinx Cultural Center on campus, titled: Blackness and Mexicanidad: Afro-descendency and Mis / Representations in Mexican Popular Culture. 

 

Where you work now

I am the Graduate Programs Manager & Advisor for the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences at the University of Washington Bothell. I oversee the daily operations of three graduate programs in our unit and advise our current graduate students seeking MAs and MFAs. In my free time, when invited, I provide workshops in my local community which include; Navigating Imposter Syndrome for First-Generation College Students and Ending Anti-Blackness in Latinx communities (amongst other topics). Lastly, I am a doctoral student at Seattle University in the Ed.D in the Educational and Organizational Learning and Leadership (EOLL) program.

 

What advice you would tell new students

Pursuing graduate education is challenging and at times it can be extremely isolating, especially for students from historically excluded communities. I would encourage incoming students to build communidad with current LALS students, especially folks in their cohort, courses, student organizations (BGSA, LGSA & LPODER), staff, and faculty on campus. Si se puede!

How a MA in LALS helped you

In my current role, I support pathways to accelerate the representation of women, trans, and non-binary people in technology careers and advance their leadership in the tech space. My LALS degree has helped me work towards an intersectional and community-driven approach to addressing economic gender disparities with a lens on race, ethnicity, class, immigration status, and ability; the degree has also helped me to work with partners to address what DEI initiatives can and should look like within more equitable technology workplaces.

Where you work now

I am a Senior Program Manager at GET (Gender Equality in Tech) Cities Chicago

What advice you would tell new students

Follow your research interests deeply during your studies and make sure to build in space for classes that enrich your work, and also for extracurricular opportunities to grow your network– LALS is a great department for bridging academic and local communities. Take classes with and pursue independent studies with the impressive interdisciplinary LALS faculty. If you’re going to pursue a career outside of academia, explore how different industries intersect with your research interests. Take advantage of any experiential learning opportunities like internships or apprenticeships during your program– the LALS faculty’s networks are robust and will be a good support for you here.

How a MA in LALS helped you

The MA in LALS helped me dive into my area of interest both academically and professionally. Being in Chicago, I was fortunate to have access to the diverse network of community partners LALS has maintained, allowing me to really live out the practice of the research I was conducting for my master’s paper. This practice helped prepare me for my post-grad next steps and has continued to impact my work today.

 

Where you work now

I currently work in the domestic violence program at Mujeres Latinas en Accion, serving as the domestic violence training supervisor. My work focuses on community education and outreach.

 

What advice you would tell new students

My advice to new students would be to take advantage of the ground they are in. There is a lot to explore outside of the university setting and LALS offers a great toolbox to do so, where theory can meet practice.

How a MA in LALS helped you

The MA in Latin American and Latino Studies helped me greatly both personally and professionally. Personally, it helped me to navigate my struggles as a newly-arrived immigrant woman in the United States. Most of what I learned was about myself, my people, my history, and that was the source of my motivation. My English was limited, I knew nothing about navigating academia (I am first gen), I had no scholarship and, yet, I succeeded thanks to the mentorship, friendships, and the community I had at LALS. Academically, the MA in LALS introduced me to the field of Migration Studies, which became a passion, and paved my way to a doctoral degree in Global Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. I am now a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Pennsylvania, where I am advancing my research on the intersectional of race and migration in Latin America, which started when I was an MA student at LALS.

 

Where you work now

I am now a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Pennsylvania, where I am advancing my research on the intersectional of race and migration in Latin America, which started when I was an MA student at LALS.

 

What advice you would tell new students

LALS is more than an academic program, it is a community. I would tell new students to learn all they can from the great engaged scholars, who will teach them and to bring their own stories and identities to the classroom with them. Also, finding a mentor that inspires them, a community/group to engage with as a researcher, and a research topic that really speaks to their hearts will make their experience as LALS MA students even more meaningful, especially in difficult times.

Liliana Macías, Class of 2019

Chicago Learning Collaborative Manager at the Chicago History Museum

Degree: M.A. in LALS

Jorge Mena Robles, Class of 2016

Associate Director at UIC Rafael Cintron Ortiz Latino Cultural Center

Degree: M.A. in LALS

Eliana Buenrostro, Class of 2020

Ph.D. Student, Department of Ethnic Studies, University of California, Riverside

Degree: M.A. in LALS