Highlighted Social Media Posts

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Prospectus Defense

✨ I’m so excited to share that I officially passed my prospectus defense on Friday, April 18th—I’m officially ABD! ✨ 

My prospectus, Rhetorics of Resistance: Latina Leadership and Advocacy in the Rio Grande Valley, explores how Latina leaders in the RGV strategically use rhetoric to push back against dominant crisis narratives. Too often, our border communities are framed as chaotic or in need of saving. This work challenges that by centering Latinas as rhetorical agents—leaders who shape public discourse, build coalitions, and reimagine justice. 

Through three case studies, I highlight the leadership of women whose rhetorical strategies are rooted in community, care, and resistance. Sr. Norma Pimentel reframes immigration as a humanitarian issue, disrupting securitized and legalistic narratives. Dr. Juliet García uses storytelling and institutional advocacy to reframe educational access as a civil rights issue. And Juanita Valdez-Cox centers testimonio and embodied protest to amplify farmworker rights and labor justice. Together, these women offer a powerful counternarrative to the way the border is portrayed.

I’m deeply grateful to my committee—Dr. de Velasco, Dr. Hernández, Dr. Johnson, and Dr. Moss—for walking with me through this process with so much insight and support. And to everyone who showed up for the defense: thank you. Seeing familiar faces in the (virtual) room meant more than I can say. I didn’t take any photos that day, but I’m sharing a few slides from the presentation and some pictures from Southern States Communication Association (SSCA). 

1 more year to go before I’m part of the 1% of Latinas with doctorate degrees! 

#ABD #LatinaScholar #RhetoricsOfResistance #RGV #BorderRhetoric #LatinaStudies #GradSchoolLife #AcademicLatinas 💫📚🧡

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Tiger Tank 2025

Feeling ever so grateful for the opportunity to support University of Memphis students as they gear up for Tiger Tank 2025!

I had the pleasure of leading three incredible training sessions alongside the wonderful Amber Alston, where we focused on strengthening students’ outlining, storytelling, and presentation skills.

Our final session focused on organizing their pitches using the Beginning–Middle–End (BME) model and building stage presence.

Students practiced applying their storytelling frameworks while working on connecting with their audience through nonverbal and vocal delivery, active listening, and audience awareness.

Tiger Tank will showcase 19 student entrepreneurs pitching innovative ventures across industries like social enterprise, music innovation, fashion/textile tech, and consumer products.

You don’t want to miss it!

The Zone, FedEx Institute of Technology
Friday, April 25, 2025
4:00–7:00 PM

Special thanks to Whitney Hardy and Dr. Meredith Boulden—your partnership and encouragement continue to make all the difference!

#tigertank2025 #universityofmemphis #partnership