Support Aliento

Support students regardless of immigration status

Your generous contribution will have a meaningful impact.

Through your support:

Reyna Montoya

Founder and CEO

Reyna is DACAmented social entrepreneur, educator, and organizer. She migrated to Arizona in 2003 after her family fled violence. Growing up as a Dreamer shaped her worldview and fueled her commitment to immigrant youth and families like hers.
In 2013, she helped stop a deportation bus—the first in U.S. history—and organized to prevent her father’s deportation. Those moments solidified her purpose and led her to found Aliento, a community-rooted organization that uplifts students, Dreamers, and their families through healing, leadership development, and policy change.
Since then, Aliento has impacted over 70,000 lives, educated over 200,000 voters, and led the campaign to pass Prop. 308, securing in-state tuition for Dreamer students in Arizona.
Along the way, she’s been honored as a Teach for America alumna, a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, an Ashoka Fellow, and an Echoing Green Fellow. She holds degrees from ASU, GCU, and the Harvard Kennedy School. What drives her most is the belief that our stories matter and that together, we can build a future rooted in justice, healing, and education.

José Patiño

VP of Education and External Affairs

José migrated to Phoenix, Arizona, with his family at the age of six. As one of the few DACA recipients in the U.S. to hold a master’s degree, he has dedicated his life to advancing youth leadership and building a future where students, Dreamers, and mixed-status families can thrive.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Arizona State University and a master’s in Secondary Education from Grand Canyon University. His activism began in 2009, from stopping a deportation bus and publicly calling on President Obama to act on immigration during one of his speeches, to lobbying for the DREAM Act on Capitol Hill.
His work has been featured in The Washington Post, MSNBC, NPR, and the documentaries The Dream is Now and Underwater Dreams. Today, he leads efforts to expand in-state tuition and scholarship access for students in Arizona.
For his leadership and impact, José has been recognized as a Phoenix Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree, an Obama Foundation Leaders USA Fellow, an ASU 100 recipient, and a Pahara Fellow. He currently serves on the Phoenix Union Foundation for Education, supporting first-generation students in pursuing their higher education dreams, and on the Friends of Public Radio Arizona Board.

Maria León Peña

Nursing Student and Fellow Alumn ‘18-’19

After graduating in 2015, María attended community college as a DACA recipient, grateful for in-state tuition but unable to access FAFSA or public aid.
She paid for her first semester out of pocket and held onto her dream of becoming a pediatrician. However, in 2017, when DACA was rescinded, her future felt uncertain. That’s when she found Aliento.
Aliento’s support transformed everything for María—from local organizing to traveling to Washington, D.C., to advocate for Dreamers like herself. She was part of Aliento’s first fellowship cohort and helped launch the Arizona’s Future Campaign to advocate for equitable education. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, while pregnant, María served as a nurse assistant, offering patients a compassionate presence during one of the most challenging times in their lives.
Years later, with Prop 308 on the ballot, she canvassed while raising her two-year-old. When it passed, she felt hope again. She studied, passed her nursing exam, and got accepted into a competitive program. Now, as a nursing student, she’s working toward her dream of becoming a doctor, for herself, and for everyone who believed in her.

Angel Palazuelos

Youth Leadership Council Chair and Fellow Alumn ‘19-’20

Angel is a first-generation college student and a proud Dreamer. Arizona has been his home since he was four. Missing DACA by just three days meant constant barriers—no in-state tuition and no financial aid.
Still, he pushed forward. He earned private scholarships, stayed focused, and never gave up on his education. He knew higher education could change his future and others'. So he spoke up.
As an Aliento Arizona Future Fellow, he found his voice, grew as a leader, and took agency over his story. He shared it widely to help reinstate in-state tuition in Arizona. When Prop. 308 passed in 2022, it felt surreal for him —after years of uncertainty, he finally qualified.
Angel graduated with honors from Arizona State University with a degree in biomedical engineering and multiple job offers—none of which he could accept due to his immigration status. Now, with a deep understanding of how a nine-digit number can define access to opportunity, Angel plans to attend law school to become an immigration attorney and give back to the community whose dreams and realities are too often limited by their status.
His journey is proof that our stories matter—and that we all deserve the chance to learn, grow, and lead.