Meet the Board
Maria Barragan ‘15, Chair
María Barragán (she/her/ella) is currently the inaugural Director for the Undocumented Student Support Services at Loyola Marymount University. Barragán has advocated for the immigrant community, particularly undocumented students in higher education, for the past 13 years. Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, she was a first-generation and undocumented college student, and in 2021 became a naturalized citizen.
She has been an inaugural staff member for three undocumented student support centers/programs and her expertise has created a foundation to help undocumented students thrive. She co-founded the first undocumented alumni chapter in the California State University system, was selected by Rep. Pete Aguilar as his honorary guest during the 2017 Joint Congressional Address, and received a 30 under 30 award from Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Gomez Reyes.
Barragán earned a master’s degree in higher education in student affairs from the University of Redlands. She spent her undergraduate years studying communications at Chaffey College and CSU San Bernardino, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in communication studies. As a creative, Barragán also hopes to archive the stories of non-traditional undocumented folx through podcasting. During her free time, she enjoys finding and visiting local coffee shops, gardens, bookstores, and Undocu, LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC-led markets. Barragán’s goals are to create brave spaces for undocumented students and UndocuEducators to feel welcomed, inspired, and celebrated.
Lorena Rosas ‘17, Vice Chair
Lorena is a DOJ Accredited Representative and is an alumna from UC Riverside holding a Master’s in Public Policy. She first attended Mt. San Jacinto College and later transferred to CSU San Bernardino where she completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology. Lorena's personal experience has shaped her into an advocate for immigrant rights. She primarily serves the undocumented community in the Inland Empire, but also expands her work into various California counties as part of the UC Immigrant Legal Services Center. Her mission is to continue active participation in the immigrant rights movement, encouraging support and communicating available resources to her community that expand beyond DACA.
Maritza Gomez ‘16, Board member
Maritza Gomez is a dedicated entrepreneur with a Bachelor's degree in Entrepreneurship from California State University, class of 2016. Her passion for business led her to start her own venture, where she has excelled as an advocate for underrepresented communities. Maritza's journey as a former undocumented individual has driven her to become a strong voice for others seeking opportunities in the business world.
With her leadership skills and unwavering commitment to empowering women in business, Maritza served as the President of the National Association of Women Business Owners of the Inland Empire Chapter (NAWBO-IE) from 2021 to 2023. Through her involvement with NAWBO-IE, she has been at the forefront of advocating for gender equality and creating opportunities for aspiring female entrepreneurs.
Maritza is also a proud Undocu Alumni board member, where she continues to inspire and support individuals within the undocumented community on their journey towards academic and professional success.
Leticia Herrera ‘19, Secretary/Treasurer
Leticia Herrera, a graduate of California State University, San Bernardino, earned her bachelor's degree in Sociology in 2019 and went on to obtain her master’s degree in public administration in 2022. Throughout her academic journey, Leticia demonstrated a passionate commitment to advocacy, particularly in the realms of immigration and education.
During her undergraduate years at CSUSB, Leticia advocated for immigrant rights and educational equity as Vice-President of the Undocumented Advocate Club, fostering a supportive environment and campaigning for non-citizen student resources. She volunteered with non-profits like Fuerza Migrante and the Council of Mexican Federations in North America.
In 2019, as a Youth Advocate with the National Mentorship, Leticia authored a policy memo titled "Broken Pipeline for Non-Citizen Immigrant Students Who Want to Achieve a Postsecondary Education," and engaged with legislators to address systemic barriers in higher education for immigrant students.
Leticia's 2019 graduation cap and stole is currently displayed at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., at the Latino Gallery's first-ever exhibit, ¡Presente! A Latino History of the United States, which tells U.S. history from the perspectives of the diverse Latinos who lived it. For Leticia, this moment is not just a personal achievement, but a proud representation of her community and the invaluable contributions immigrants make to this nation.
Today, Leticia continues to make an impact as an educator in San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools. Committed to empowering her community, she tirelessly works to provide resources and support to individuals striving to achieve their educational aspirations.
José Velasco ‘18, Marketing & Community Engagement
José was born, raised, and currently resides in the High Desert. He is the eldest of three siblings and blazed a trail as the first in his family to pursue higher education. In 2015, José earned his associate’s degree in social sciences from Barstow Community College before continuing his academic journey at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB). There, he delved deep into his passion for Spanish language, literature, and civilization, graduating in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree. His commitment to education extended further as he completed his single subject credential at CSUSB in Fall 2021. Further enriching his expertise, José obtained his master's degree in Spanish from Middlebury College in August 2022, focusing on teaching methodology.
Currently, José serves as a Spanish Teacher where he has dedicated himself to empowering students. Additionally, he serves as the Site Coordinator for the Legacy Program, a pioneering initiative providing academic support to Long Term English Learners for college readiness.
Looking ahead, José is poised to embark on his doctoral journey in Educational Leadership, driven by his unwavering commitment to creating an inclusive and equitable educational environment for all.
Mayra Barragan ‘20, Wellness and Social Events Coordinator
Mayra (she/ella) is a first-generation Latina immigrant, entrepreneur, and mental health professional. She was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, and migrated to the U.S. as a teen. Although she was never a DACA beneficiary, she earned a master’s in clinical/counseling psychology from CSU San Bernardino.
She is the founder of UndocuMental Health and the co-creator of Immigrants Rising’s Mental Health Career Program and Wellness Support Groups. Despite her fear of public speaking, she won the 2023 Audience Award of the Palm Springs Pitch Competition as a SEED Lab Accelerated Program participant at Caravanserai Project.
Mayra adjusted her status in 2023 and hopes to continue to work on destigmatizing mental health in the immigrant community by sharing and creating resources and creative visuals that people find insightful and/or comical. She also hopes to continue her work in storytelling by archiving the stories of non-traditional undocumented individuals through podcasting.
Claudia Sandoval ‘17, Leadership Development
Claudia Sofia Sanchez is an Assurance Experience Staff (Expected to be Senior Staff by September 2024) at Ernst and Young, a Public Accounting Firm in LA. She has worked at EY for over two years. Her expertise is in Assurance services, serving various public and private clients in different industries, including Real Estate and Tech. Claudia was a transfer student with poor grades who changed majors multiple times. She obtained her BA in Accounting and Business Analytics in 2020 from CSUSB. She continued her education and further pursued a Master of Accountancy degree in 2022 at CSUSB and graduated with close to a 4.0 GPA.
She has been involved with undocumented students and students at large, particularly students in accounting since 2018. She served as the Undocumented Advocates student club President for a term (2018 -2019). She then served multiple roles with in the Undoc student club board and was part of the Undocumented Alumni Chapter board as a student representative (2019-2020). She also served in the accounting student club and California Society of CPAs as a student leader and now serves as a Co-chair for two consecutive terms at the California Society of CPAs (CalCPA) LA Chapter, where we serves a group of 900 Young Emerging Professionals from Accounting College Students to CPAs with fewer than five years of professional experience. Her role in the Undocu Committee is Leadership Development Coordinator. As an underserved Latina with little to zero guidance before transferring to CSUSB, it wasn’t until then that she realized the impact mentors can have on students. As a TPS holder, she also experienced uncertainty regarding her legal status. Professionally, she went from freezing while conducting a student general club meeting to presenting confidently to 90+ high school students during a Career Fair event as a professional in 2024. She is here to assist Alumni who would like to develop their professional and self-branding skills. Her passion is to serve the Undoc Committee members and come together with the very own Undocu Committee Board leaders who took her under their wings as a recent transfer student who saw her potential event when she didn’t see her own. When she is not working, she is studying to get certified as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license or developing her first very own clothing line (Latinas in Accounting clothing brand - in the works) or running to get prepared to run her first LA Marathon race, which will be in 2025!
Fatima Cristerna-Adame '06
A transplant to San Bernardino County by way of Zacatecas, Mexico at the age of 7. She has been working tirelessly with Inland Empire youth over the last 20 years in various capacities. A proud graduate of San Bernardino Valley College as an undocumented student. Transferred to California State University, San Bernardino after the passing of AB 540 where she received a BA in Political Communication and a Master’s Degree in Communication Studies while remaining undocumented in 2006. Spending over 23 years as an undocumented person in the U.S. she became a U.S. Citizen in December of 2016 only after marrying her husband Efrain Adame in 2010 and being deported in 2011. Currently she is the Southern California, Managing Regional Director for the California Charter Schools Association, where she helps over 225 charter schools and over 14,000 students between five counties.