My name is Julia Islas-Lozano, and I’m from San Jose, CA. I’m a rising senior at Santa Clara University majoring in Child Studies with a minor in Ethnic Studies. Two of my favorite classes so far have been Child Studies 4: Cultural Competence and Humility with Dr. Brita Bookser and Ethnic Studies 5: Introduction to the Study of Race and Ethnicity with Dr. Jesica Fernandez. Both professors are incredibly passionate about creating a comfortable learning environment for students to share their stories, which made an impact on me. In Child Studies 4, our final project involved collaborating in groups to create a culturally relevant and affirming story. My group chose to write about our experiences as first-generation daughters of Mexican immigrant parents, which was both challenging and inspiring. In Ethnic Studies 5, our final project was to research and share our families’ immigration stories. I enjoyed interviewing my parents and listened to the stories of my classmates. A few fun facts about me are that I love baking chocolate chip cookies, I love watching my comfort show Gilmore Girls and I love spending quality time with family and friends. In addition to LEAD, some other organizations I am involved in are Future Teachers Project, Kappa Delta Pi and Sigma Omega Nu. I look forward to meeting you all soon!