Lunch With Latinx Leaders
Lunch with Latinx/e Leaders is a program intended to give CSU Latinx/e Faculty and Staff an opportunity to share/present about a topic they hold expertise, passions and/or knowledge of with CSU Students. This program is meant to create an opportunity for Faculty and Staff to also share a bit about their educational journey as Latinx/e folks with the intent of building a community of support for Latinx/e students at CSU.
When?
Every last Thursday of the Month from 12:00p to 1:15p
Dates
- February 23
- March 23
- April 27
Where?
We have a hybrid component for this program. We will be in person at El Centro.
If you identify as a Latinx/e Leader at CSU and in the Community and would like to participate in our program and engage in conversation with El Centro please email Aaron Escobedo (aaron.escobedo_garmon@colostate.edu).
2021/2022 Lunch with Lantix/e Leaders
Dr. Caridad Souza
Dr. Caridad Souza is the director of the Center for Women’s Studies and Gender Research at Colorado State University. Her teaching and research interests include contemporary race & ethnic relations and theories, intersectional pedagogy & theory, AfroLatinix Feminisms, and critical ethnography. Caridad has written about teenage pregnancy, work, gender and households, Latina sexualities, and feminist pedagogies. Her intellectual interests involve intersectional inequality and well-being (race, class, gender, and sexuality), and she has worked on gender equity at CSU on various committees including the President’s Commission on Women and Gender Equity, the Standing Committee on the Status of Women Faculty, and was one of the researchers on the gender equity study for the university. More recently, she has begun to use Theatre of the Oppressed techniques in her classes as a way towards increased embodiment among her students. She is fascinated with the concept of social healing towards a more equitable, just, and free society.
Jimena Sagàs ( She, her, ella)
Born in Mexico City. Raised in Chicago and Mexico City. Mother of a young Latino man. Presently, a Librarian/Associate Professor at Colorado State University (CSU), a student in the Ph.D. Education and Human Resource Studies/Organizational Learning, Performance and Change program, and adjunct faculty at the University of Denver in the Master’s of Library and Information Science program. In pursuit of social and transformative justice, she has served as a Commissioner on the Human Relations Commission for the City of Fort Collins and as a Chair of the Multicultural Staff and Faculty Network on her campus. She currently serves as Co-Chair of the President’s Commission for Women and Gender Equity, and a member of the Inclusive Excellence Group. Feminist thought has been a life-long learning pursuit that has steadily influenced and shaped the way she engages in the workplace, approaches cultural change and leadership, and navigates her experiences as an upcoming Latina scholar in the social sciences and as a library practitioner. Presently, she is co-organizing Día de Muertos community celebrations with a local social justice organization called BIPOC Alliance.
Z / Zeta Arellano (They/Them/Theirs)
Z / Zeta Arellano (They/Them/Theirs) is a Gender Non-Conforming Queer Latinx Otterboi born and raised on the north side of Chicago by two resilient and empowering undocumented parents from Mexico. Their identities and background planted early seeds of resiliency, empowerment and social justice as they navigated the borderlands of not only their identities but the intersectional points of all their pieces. They received their bachelor’s degree in International Studies (Latin America Concentration) with a minor in Ethnic Studies from Colorado State University. Since graduating, they have continued working alongside communities and youth marginalized by intentional systemic and institutional barriers all while holding the notion that el Pueblo Unido Jamás Será Vencido and that knowledge and community are truly the sprouting seeds of power/self-empowerment. Aside from community organizing, they spend 4-6 weeks out of the year as a facilitator for No Más Muertes, a humanitarian aid group whose goal is to end death and suffering along the U.S.-Mexico border, by placing water, food and medical supplies throughout the AZ Sonoran desert. Zeta is currently serving as a volunteer for Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network and TransLatin@ Coalition by mobilizing community members to show support and solidarity for trans migrants that are transferred to the Aurora GEO Detention Center here in Colorado. On their downtime, you can find Zeta galloping throughout the mountains, holding ceremonies for intergenerational healing (curanderismo), embracing their QTBIPOC community, dancing to the rhythms of their ancestors heartbeats, connecting and talking to plantitas and animalitos, co-parenting a fiery 6 year old, cooking secret recipes for their loved ones and cuddling with their pup Pistola.
Doni Aldine ( She, her)
Doni Aldine is a globally mobile Afro-Latina and first-generation American who, by age 19, lived in & identified with seven cultures on five continents. Aldine is passionate about creating a community for cross-cultural populations. She has extensive global experience in communications, media, and marketing for organizations both large and emerging. Aldine has presented around the globe as a keynote, at conferences, at major universities & in major media outlets as an expert focused on communications, entrepreneurship, marketing, branding & cross-cultural identity. She’s developed university curricula for global culture identity and is on faculty in Journalism and Media Communication at Colorado State University. She also serves as director of marketing at Colorado State’s award-winning Colab marketing agency. She served as head of a manufacturing company that developed original, award-winning products selling in 45 countries via stores like Hallmark, ProFlowers, Major museums in the U.S., Europe, and Oceana, and independent stores globally. She also developed custom-branded products for organizations including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Getty Museum, Jouer Cosmetics, and CBS television, and for celebrities like Dancing with the Stars’ Brooke Burke, The Bachelorette’s Trista Sutter, music artist-Usher.
Betty Aragon-Mitotes
My family came to Fort Collins in 1962 and moved into one of the Tres Colonias neighborhoods, Buckingham. Throughout my life living in Fort Collins, I have seen much injustice for people of color. I have advocated for the Hispanics, Mexican, and working poor for over 20 years. I have fought for equality, and better conditions within the Hispanic communities to have a voice. My work included fighting for affordable shopping, Wal-Mart. Then fought the truck route issue and was one of the co-founders of the Museo de las Tres Colonias, Founder of Mujeres de Colores, and Producer of Fort Collins the Choice City for Whom, Hispanic Community voices COVID-19, and Los Betabeloros, Honoring the Hispanic and Mexican Beet Workers. I had the vision to honor our people with a monument, with the help of our group, the community, and gifted artist; we installed a monument in November in Sugar Beet Park to cement our place in history. I am currently starting to work on another film and continue to push for a mural showcasing our Hispanic history and culture.
Jose Arce (Any/All)
Jose welcomes all pronouns. Jose is currently serving as a Career Education Coordinator at the Career Center here at Colorado State University. In this current role, Jose works with supporting exploratory students and students within various colleges including the College of Engineering. Additionally, Jose has had the opportunity to support programming efforts in partnership with offices within Student Diversity Programs and Services. Jose is originally from Florida where they earned their undergraduate degree from the University of Florida in Women’s Studies and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of South Florida. Throughout their professional career, Jose has worked in Career Services, Leadership Development, and Multicultural and Diversity Education. Their passion lies in developing equitable student support and finding ways to remove barriers for students. Outside of work, Jose is a photographer and pet parent to a two-year-old calico cat! Jose is eager to connect with each of you and to work together toward these goals & more!
2022/2023 Lunch with Latinx Leaders
Carmen Rivera
Carmen Rivera, Co-Chair, M.S. in Student Affairs in Higher Education in the School of Education, Colorado State University, August 25, 2021
One of the first things Carmen tells folks is that she’s from northern New Mexico because where she’s from is fundamental to who she is in all contexts. As a first-generation college student, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Mexican American Studies and Spanish from the University of Northern Colorado. She then went on to earn her Master’s degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education as well as her PhD in Higher Education Leadership from Colorado State University. Her higher education career began when she worked for the Upward Bound program. She continued to work with TRiO programs for over 13 years then transitioned to international education as the Director of Student Experience at INTO CSU for several years. Dr. Rivera currently serves as an Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and co-chair of the Student Affairs in Higher Education Master’s program at CSU. Additionally, she’s a faculty member for the Social Justice Training Institute and a consultant in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, and leadership. One of her most important roles is raising her two super awesome sons with her super awesome wife. She loves 90’s R&B, traveling, cooking, and is obsessed with all things Frida Kahlo.
Soleil Gonzalez
Senior majoring in Psychology and Outstanding Graduate for the College of Natural Sciences
Halllooo a todos, my name is Soleil Arce Gonzalez, I use they/them/ellos. I serve as the Program Coordinator for the Pride Resource Center. I have recently graduated from CSU in May of 2022 and now transitioned into a full-time staff position on campus. I finished my undergrad in a 5-year course instead of the traditional 4-year timeline. I have experienced different walks of life here at CSU that influenced my purpose and why on a daily basis. I am someone who tries to create the environment that is needed the most from students, colleagues and more. I identify as a first generation, non-binary, Latiné individual. I am a very fluid person, especially with my expression in clothing, words, and intentions. My heart lives in Jalisco, I was raised by two hard working parents that immigrated from Mexico to give our family a fighting chance. I have worked hard to obtain my degree and will continue to receive my master’s in the future. Although it sounds like all game and no play, I am huge car enthusiasts, I love to read and take walks. I find myself the happiest when I am in nature connecting to trees. On my spare time I record for my podcast, it has been a way to extend my ability to connect with others in a different capacity. Always remember that you are enough, you matter, and you deserve to take up the space you desire. Never forget your roots and know that our ancestors have our backs, nunca olvides lo incredible que eres.
