Mentorship Mosaic
Name: Geovani Muñoz
Major: Psychology minored in Political Science Class of 2021; Ronald E. McNair Scholar 2019-2021
Project: “Predicting Latinx College Student Civic Engagement”; “Family and Cultural Predictors of Subjective Well-Being among Latina/o/x College Students”; “Language Brokering and Career Decision Making Among Latinx College Seniors”
Post-CPP Plans: Attending Virginia Commonwealth University for a PhD in Counseling Psychology Fall 2021
Quote: “Kindness is a language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see”
- Mark Twain.
Team: Being a part of Dr. Morales’s lab provided a support system that I thought I would never have while attending a university. My lab mates became my little family, who never hesitated to help or provide an ear to listen. Every person radiated kindness and compassion, with a goal of bettering society and the people around them.
Name: Ruben Arredondo
Major: Psychology major, Spanish minor. Graduated Spring 2021.
- Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program, Cohort 22
- California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Dean’s List, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, and Spring 2020
- California State Polytechnic University, Pomona President’s List Spring 2020
Project: Understanding the Circular Migration Processes of U.S, Born Latinx Adults
Plans Post-CPP: After graduating from Cal Poly Pomona, I will pursue a Masters of Science degree (M.S.) in Counseling Psychology with concentration in School Psychology and an Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree in School Psychology at San Diego State University. I aspire to work in the school setting to help students from diverse backgrounds succeed academically. To address mental health disparities in marginalized communities, I aim to collaborate with grassroot organizations to facilitate positive educational change.
Quote: “We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community... Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own.”
- Cesar Chavez
Team: One of my favorite things about being part of this team was the collaborative environment. Being a part of this lab meant that I was able to conduct research in a space where students could learn from one another. The team helped me become the best version of myself through support and encouragement and to be confident in my abilities as a student in higher education.
Name: Jonathan A. Pedroza
Major: Psychology, 2014, Minor in Chicana/o Latina/o Studies
Project: Latinos Living with Diabetes: A Content Analysis of Interventions for Self-Management & Examining Prefrontal Cortex Activity While Language Brokering in Latinas/os
Post-CPP Plans: Get a job in either public health or a non-profit focusing on factors affecting physical and mental health of people of color.
Quote: “It gets easier. Every day, it gets a little easier. But you gotta do it every day – that’s the hard part. But it does get easier.”
– Jogging Baboon (Jason Beghe) from BoJack Horseman
Team: What I enjoyed/enjoy the most is Alex’s support and his availability throughout my undergraduate and graduate careers.
Name: Nathaly Chavez
Major: Psychology Graduated 2016 Grade: Cum Laude
Activities & Societies: Nuestra/o Latina/o Psychological Association Board Member, Violence Prevention & Women’s Resource Center Volunteer, Disability Resource Center Volunteer, Department of Psychology Teacher’s Assistant, Ethnic and Women’s Studies Administrative Student Assistant
Project: Ninety-Sixth Annual Convention for Western Psychological Association, April 28, 2016
“Language Brokering Among Latinas/os: Studies About Families, Individual Differences, and the Brain” An examination and presentation on the common practice of language brokering in immigrant families and literature review.
Post-CPP Plans: 2018 Master’s Degree Clinical Psychology, Emphasis on Cultural Humility Graduate from Pepperdine University Grade: 4.0
Quote: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”
- Nelson Mandela
Team: It is extremely hard to have a favorite part of the team. Professionally it was valuable to pertain to the team because it built my confidence and knowledge in research. I also deeply appreciated being mentored and supported by Dr. Morales as he was always encouraging to every team member. Overall, I greatly enjoyed the friendships built, and professional connections established during my experience.
Name: Juan Cedillo
Major: Psychology, 2016, Psi-Chi
Project: Language brokering
Post-CPP Plans: Build a sustainable home
Quote: "You have to make your peace with the chaos, but you cannot lie. You cannot forget how much they took from us and how they transfigured our very bodies into sugar, tobacco, cotton, and gold."
— Ta-Nehisi Coates
Team: My mother was a language broker and being part of the team allowed me to take a deeper dive into understanding events that shaped my family history. It was a meaningful way to reflect and connect the dots between my academics and my culture.
Name: Jessica S. Saucedo
Major: B.A. Psychology, Cum Laude in spring 2018, M.A. Psychology in summer 2021
Project: Frankly, I forgot the project I collaborated on. I do remember coding many interviews, though.
Post-CPP Plans: Began a PhD program in community psychology at Michigan State University
Quote: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
- Maya Angelou
Team: The best part about being on Dr. Morales’s research team is the community support my peers and I gave one another. If it wasn’t for the support of everyone on the team, including Dr. Morales’s support, I wouldn’t be as successful as I am now.
Name: Ryan GrosJean
Major: Psychology, Dec. 2020, Magna cum Laude, Dean's/President's list
Project: Language Brokering on Civic Engagement
Post-CPP Plans: MFT Program at CPP, become therapist specializing in LGBTQ+
Quote: "Every gay and lesbian person who has been lucky enough to survive the turmoil of growing up is a survivor. Survivors always have an obligation to those who will face the same challenges."
- Bob Paris
Team: Collaborating with other students and faculty with different perspectives, this allowed me to grow in ways I couldn't on my own.
Name: Daniela Navarro Verdugo
Major: Psychology, Year graduated: Spring 2021, Honors: Magna Cum Laude
Project: Guiding Latinx Cultural Values in the United States (ongoing)
Post-CPP Plans: After graduating from CPP, I plan on continuing research at New Mexico State University REU focusing on border communities and immigration policies. My project this summer will focus on the mental health impacts of migrant imprisonment. In the fall, I will be starting my journey as a student at Texas Tech University. I will be pursuing a PhD in Counseling Psychology under the mentorship of Dr. Brandy Piña Watson.
Quote: “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.”
- Malcom X
Team: I most enjoyed the connections I made with the team, even with online learning, they made CPP feel like home.
Name: Cintia Alaniz
Major: Psychology, 2022, Psychology department's Professional Development Award
Project: Mentoring Relationships among First-generation Latina/o/x College Students
Post-CPP Plans: Obtain a PhD in Counseling Psychology
Quote: “Like wildflowers; You must allow yourself to grow in all the places people thought you never would.”
- E.V
Team: The sense of community and long-term friendships that were formed over the years.
Name: Sergio Maldonado Aguiñiga
Major: B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Political Science
- Presidents Honor List, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (2017)
- 2018 President's Kellogg Discovery Fellow | $8,000 (2017)
- Office of Undergraduate Research Travel Grant | $500 (2017 & 2018)
- President’s Kellogg Discovery Fellow | $8,000 (2018)
- Department of Psychology and Sociology Scholarship | $500 (2018)
- Undergraduate Research Assistant at Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Project:
- The phenomenology of gang desistance from a strength-based approach
- The facilitation of mindfulness: Positive psychology and meditation influence on education and well-being at continuation schools
- A qualitative study about the career development of Latina/o college students
Plans Post-CPP: Enrolled in Purdue's University Counseling Psychology Ph.D. program
Quote: "Despues me dijo un arriero, que no hay que llegar primero, pero hay que saber llegar"
- Jose Alfredo Jimenez
Team: The strong sense of carnalismo that was shared amongst the team was what I valued the most. It allowed us to to break bread during our logros (achievements) and tropezones (challenges) that we experienced our undergraduate years. It also allowed us to challenge each other and experience both personal and professional development.