Aliento Features: Guadalupe Reynoso

Introduce yourself.

Hello! My name is Guadalupe, I am a Junior at Northern Arizona University studying Criminology and Criminal Justice. I am the proud daughter of immigrants from Jalisco, Mexico. My parents and loved ones serve as my motivation both within academia as well as the work I do in regard to activism. 

Why does the work we are doing matter to you? Why is in-state tuition for everyone important?

I began to volunteer with Aliento as a senior in high school to learn more about the work they were doing and was motivated to continue to work with them. While volunteering, I learned about the impact of tuition inequity for undocumented students. Until then I was not aware of the many obstacles undocumented students endure when seeking post-secondary education. This sparked a passion for this topic in me which I pursued through this fellowship. Additionally, many of my friends from high school are undocumented and I saw the difficulties they faced when applying to universities and for financial aid. Many are also first-generation. As a first-generation student myself, I know how hard it is to navigate the tumultuous road that is pursuing post-secondary education and being undocumented exacerbates these obstacles further. In-state tuition is paramount for a more educated Arizona. These students are Arizonans, they grew up here and only know Arizona as their home. Many of them have been forced to leave the state to pursue their education which means families are being separated, and the fear of deportation is heightened. By granting undocumented students in-state tuition we would be making sure that Arizonan students can pursue an education here in the state to continue and give back to the community that saw them grow up and we would also be keeping families together. 

What are some reflections from E-day? How did this impact you?

E-Day was very empowering because it showed that even amidst the current pandemic, people will still show up to support whether that be in-person or online. My conversations with legislators were very insightful and gave me a lot of valuable knowledge regarding how to further push to make positive legislative changes. After E-Day, I realized how important it is to come together and actually talk to our legislators. We often forget that they are supposed to listen to our challenges and work to change that. 

What is a moment from the fellowship outside of E-day that really impacted you?

I went to an arts and healing workshop during the midterm season last fall and it was a beautiful experience. The space created by Jess and Rocio was very welcoming and I felt so close to everyone who participated. We created lanterns and journaled. I always struggle to just stop, take a breath and process my thoughts and emotions and this event helped me realize the importance of taking a break. Since then, I have begun to journal when I am too overwhelmed and it helps ground me. That’s another beautiful thing about Aliento, they also teach you how to be caring and patient with yourself. 

What’s next for you?

This fellowship has truly helped me figure out what it is I want to do and how to achieve it. I have learned how to be a better leader, a better teammate, and how to make change. I have also gained a second family with the fellows and everyone else in the organization. I have become more confident of my abilities and what I can accomplish. I will be entering my senior year of college! I hope to continue to work with Aliento and other organizations here on campus to ensure that the proposition gets passed in the election in November. After I graduate, I plan on taking a gap year and working within public service or public policy to gain some real-world experiences before going back to school to pursue a Master’s Degree in Public Policy! I will take all of the relationships and skills I have gained from this fellowship and apply them to wherever life takes me.