Alumni

Calling all graduates! Did you graduate from Lehman College with a major or minor in Latin American and Caribbean, Latino, or Mexican Studies? Keep in touch! We would love to hear from you. Send an e-mail to lals.department@lehman.cuny.edu, or call 718-960-8280.

Alumni Profiles

Luis Saavedra 

Luis Saavedra graduated from Lehman College. His Lehman journey started in the Fall of 2010. As an undocumented student, Luis felt there was a lack of understanding and assistance, both academically and financially, from CUNY. Through the collective power of other undocumented students, he helped found the first student group by and for undocumented students, the Lehman College DREAM Team. This club worked to demand better services for undocumented students throughout CUNY. Their work did not stop there, however. Luis along with the DREAM Team would join advocacy efforts which led to the creation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and the New York State Dream Act. Despite all the organizing and advocacy, Luis describes his time at Lehman as enjoyable, finding the academic environment to be excellent and fun. Lehman is also the place where he met one of his favorite professors and mentors, Professor Alyshia Gálvez.  
Currently, Luis is pursuing a Master's degree in the Health Policy and Management track at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy. For the past two years, he has worked as a Research Associate at the CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute investigating the challenges and successes of CUNY students working in the food sector. The work done by the CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute has resulted in the report Making CUNY A Place to Educate and Organize New York City Food Workers: A Call-to-Action, which examines the challenges and benefits of CUNY students in their roles as students, food workers, and low wageworkers, and presents a series of recommendations CUNY can take to improve their working and learning environments. In addition to studying, Luis works in public policy in the Department of Human Services which is an agency that supports what every person needs, such as mental and behavioral health, homeless services, supportive housing, childcare, child welfare, food pantries, legal services, and so forth. His job is to advocate for investments in human services nonprofits.
We wish Luis all the best in his future endeavors.

Marina Huth

In May 2022, LALS graduate Marina Huth received the third annual Yoryi Dume Award for Research in Latin American and Latino Studies and departmental honors for maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA throughout her college career. Huth’s interest in Latin America is rooted in her upbringing, having been raised and enmeshed within the rich Latinx culture of the city. Huth wrote her award-winning research paper on the novel Dominicana by Angie Cruz and Dominican women’s migrant identity. The award is in the memory of Yoryi Dume who was a Latin American and Latino Studies major who passed away a few years ago. The award comes with a cash prize for the recipient, funded by donations from Yoryi’s friends and professors. Although Huth is not Latinx herself (her ethnic heritage can be traced back to Cambodia), her love for the Latinx people, their customs, music and especially their food, is on par with any. For Huth, LALS was a perfect academic home, and its emphasis on music, culture and literature was the icing on top for drawing out the creative and expressive spirit within her. Yet Huth’s studies assumed an altogether new meaning when she saw in them the potential to impact lives other than her own. “I plan on teaching in the Bronx where there is a high population of Latinx children,” Huth said, “I’m hoping I can influence them, make a difference in some way, through everything I’ve learned.” Since graduating, Huth has quickly secured a position as a permanent substitute teacher at a nearby school and has already begun her second year of her Master of Science in Education in Early Childhood, thanks to the Minor-to-Master's Program offered by the Department of Early Childhood and Childhood Education at Lehman. She now awaits the day when she can travel all across the region and take in its wonders and cultures firsthand. LALS is proud to have alumni like Marina Huth.

Maria Hernandez

We are thrilled to share the exciting news that Maria Hernandez will be returning to Lehman College, bringing her expertise to the forefront as she takes on the role of instructor for an engaging course centered on Latino Family and Gender Relations. Maria's passion for this course is evident, as it promises an in-depth exploration of Hispanic and Latino stereotypes, offering a nuanced understanding of how these communities are perceived on a global scale. This course is poised to be an insightful journey, delving into the complexities of cultural narratives and challenging prevalent stereotypes.

After graduating from Lehman in 2018 with a bachelor's in Latin American and Latino Studies, it's truly exciting to feature Maria Hernandez in this special newsletter highlight. Having had the privilege of meeting and interviewing this remarkable Lehman aluma, who, like many of us, navigated the challenges of being a first-generation college student, Maria shared insights into her academic journey and her choice of Latin American and Latino Studies.Maria is proud to have completed a master’s degree in international relations with a concentration in Latino Studies from University of Connecticut in 2023, Maria focused her studies on medical anthropology, delving into the profound question of how people perceive their health, particularly within the Mexican community. Although she initially faced the shift to starting graduate school online during the pandemic, Maria embraced the challenges. Expressing a preference for qualitative data over quantitative, Maria's journey after graduating from Lehman unfolded working on a research team including Professor Gálvez in the LALS department and other CUNY faculty. This part-time role not only provided valuable experience and offered her a nuanced perspective on potential career paths. Concurrently, Maria engaged with the CUNY Mexican Studies Institute, contributing to the library, and working as a production assistant. In the latter role, she reached out to and interviewed Mexican American leaders, bringing their stories to the Bronx network's television channel. Maria's career aspirations leaned toward community involvement, seeking a hands-on approach beyond data collection. Her research during the COVID-19 pandemic focused on "Remedios Caseros" within the Mexican community, exploring the use of home remedies like onions, garlic, and ginger for health. She observed a fascinating phenomenon: individuals becoming resilient out of necessity due to the scarcity of alternatives. Drawing on her anthropology background, Maria found that people resorted to these home remedies amid vaccine hesitancy, fear of hospitals, and misinformation during the overwhelmed healthcare system. In her exploration of "Remedios Caseros," Maria uncovered a compelling narrative of resilience emerging from adverse circumstances, shedding light on the adaptive strategies individuals employed during the pandemic. Maria's journey from Lehman to her current pursuits showcases not only her academic and professional growth but also her commitment to understanding and contributing to the well-being of communities.