I'm Andrea, and I'm so excited that you've decided to check out my portfolio.  I welcome you to explore the various links and read through the documents.  Before you begin, here's a little more about me.

I am originally from small-town Ohio, and although born into a Mexican-American family with a strong connection to its cultural and ethnic heritage, I was raised in a predominantly White community which encouraged my family's assimilation to the "American" lifestyle.  That said, I grew up with a powerful sense of pride for my identity as "Mexican," and the value of hard work was instilled in me from a very young age.  My parents do not have college degrees, nor do my ancestors before them.  As a child and adolescent, I was told that I would go to college, but that I would be responsible for getting myself to and through that experience.  So, I worked hard and I made it happen.

I spent four years at The Ohio State University, blessed with a full-tuition scholarship, but still working at least one part-time job all the way through in order to make ends meet.  I studied Marketing, Spanish, and Leadership Studies, but knew that my heart felt called to work in a service field.  Fortunately, I found myself a wonderful mentor who guided me in my pursuit of a career in Higher Education and Student Affairs.  She knew that I cared about social justice, identity development, and creating and sustaining meaningful relationships, and she pointed me to Loyola University Chicago for my graduate studies.  

I have spent the last two years living, learning, and loving in the vibrant city of Chicago.  I have been challenged in more ways than I could have imagined, and I have learned more about myself, what I want, and what I have to offer the communities I inhabit.  As a graduate assistant, I have developed supervision, administrative, and collaboration skills.  I have learned how to plan and implement programs and initiatives, and I have learned how to own my identity as a young professional.  In the classroom, I have learned about student development, leadership, assessment, spirituality, research, critical social theory, and curriculum development.  Most importantly, I have learned about social justice and what I can do, within my own spheres of influence, to help create a more socially just world.

I am very excited for the future and continued learning as a new professional.  I am forever grateful for the people and experiences I have been blessed with, and I am committed to continuing to work hard.  Thank you, again, for reading through my portfolio.  I hope that my work will communicate just how meaningful my graduate school experience has been.