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Writer's pictureLa Voz Latina

Amy Rivera

Escrito por: Alexa Figueroa


Photo by: Diana Rivera


In another world, Amy Rivera would be a “traveling hippie artist” but in this one, she is a community advocate and hopes to inspire change.


Rivera is a criminology and criminal justice and government and politics double major, minoring in U.S. Latino studies. Ella es salvadoreña y su madre es de primera generación.


She wants to attend law school and work within the public service field as a lawyer. Her goal is to help people who can't afford an attorney.


“Although I know that that's a really stressful life, I feel that I feel very much compelled to do that type of work. Because I can do that as an advocate, but as a lawyer with a law degree, society just gives you more credit.”


During her time at UMD, she has served as the president of Political Latinx United for Movement and Action in Society, was a historian for the Latino Student Union, is part of the Chi Chapter of Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc, is a resident assistant, a student advocate in the Undergraduate Student Legal Aid Office and interned for CASA.


Dice que manejar la escuela y las muchas actividades en las que participó fue particularmente difícil durante la pandemia.


“I was working like 16 plus hour days, like being on like Zoom meetings with like administrators and community leaders.”


She is very passionate about diversity and says that she faced racism in her freshman dorm.


“I really make it a point to prioritize diversity and inclusion in my dorm. So people don't have to face the same issues that I face as a freshman was feelings of unsafety and stuff like that.” She wants to be a safe person for her students of color and aims to foster a more inclusive community.


Art is a big part of Rivera’s life and even has mosaic pieces that are on public display in Wheaton.


“I would hope that, if I hadn't gone to college, maybe I would have pursued art.”


Rivera likes to look into the future and never forget where she came from. As her grandparents told her when she came to college, “siempre pa’lante mija.”


"Siempre Pa'lante.”

-AMY RIVERA'S GRANDPARENTS






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