Posted on December 31, 2021
Major: Finance and Marketing
Project: Sharing essential financial knowledge to underrepresented communities. My goal is to spark an interest in people so that they want to expand their financial knowledge and invest in their future when it comes to finances, as it is such an important part of life that is often overlooked.
Inspiration: Family, friends, mentors, and books. I have always had an interest in being financial literate and have done my best to be and give that I have this amazing opportunity to help guide others in that direction, it is an opportunity I will make the most of.
Future Goals: I hope to reach more communities that may benefit from my work and be a mentor for those who seek guidance.
Posted on December 31, 2021
Major: Political Science, International Affairs
Project: I am working to expand the opportunities for underrepresented members of the community to participate in community engagement.
Inspiration: I began working with an organization that focuses on resource allocation in the Latino community. This was originally what I planned on doing. I wanted to provide a resource for undocumented immigrants who couldn’t rely on government welfare programs. However, I fell in love with their model for bringing about change in their community. They focused on giving women in their community (that are passionate about change) the resources, education, and training to spearhead change initiatives. These women are women that don’t have a formal education and wouldn’t be able to bring about change if this opportunity wasn’t presented to them.
Future Goals: I think that academia is gatekeeping social change. Underrepresented members of the community without the knowledge and resources to initiate change often can’t. We are taught how to do this in college. What about people who don’t have that luxury? I want to create a permanent impact on the community. Providing a temporary service is great but change cannot be sustained that way. I want to create local leadership opportunities for those who don’t have them, creating a sustained model for social change,
Posted on December 31, 2021
Major: Biology
Project: My current plan for the upcoming school year is to expand the mentorship program I have. I want to create a website with information that can benefit high school students coming from low-socioeconomic schools. This website will have resources like internships, pre-collegiate programs, Q&A, and information about college (applying, resume, cover letter, etc.
Inspiration: I decide to choose my Puksta Project based on my personal experience with Denver Public School. I felt that coming from a low-income school and as a first-generation student I didn’t have the resources that other students from wealthier schools had. This made applying to college harder since I wasn’t as competitive as the other students that had more resources. I spend hours at a time looking for opportunities outside of my school that would help me gain more experience and make me a better candidate. In this project, I want to be able to build connections with students in my community and offer them the support that I wish I had.
Future Goals: I hope to be able to build connections with these high school students and offer them my support and knowledge. Also, I hope that I am about to encourage and educate more students to attend college and the process so that it doesn’t seem so scary.
Posted on December 31, 2021
Major: Computer Science
Project: My Puksta project centers around increasing the representation of Latine/Undocumented youth in institutes of higher education. The journey to college often centers on a one-size-fits-all approach to education which tends to create a sense of exclusivity against Latine and Undocumented youth. I aim to work with local organizations in order to raise awareness on the issue and aid youth populations within Northern Colorado who seeks to attain a college education.
A thesis was published as part of a research team Jose was working with during my first year in Puksta! https://mountainscholar.org/items/62a49341-1096-45d7-9621-8a57996157c9
Inspiration: During my time in High School, I have seen the deficits of the education system when it comes to helping my community attain a college education. My journey to college was filled with immense fear and uncertainty as I tried to navigate through a system that was not built to serve me. Furthermore, I have come to realize that my experience is not isolated through my work as an undergraduate research assistant studying the issue at hand within communities in Colorado. This is why it is incredibly important for me to serve as a catalyst towards change surrounding Latine/Undoc. representation in institutes of higher education. The system has disproportionately harmed my community since its inception and it is time to bring change.
Future Goals: Short term, I would like to see Latine/Undoc. individuals within my local community not only become more informed about all the components needed in achieving a college education but actually see the youth begin their journey to college. Alongside this, I would like to raise awareness of the ineffective system that plagues Latine/Undoc. youth within Northern Colorado. As I further progress through my project, I would like to see my community thriving as we aim to build a better life for ourselves and our families through education.
Posted on December 31, 2021
Major: Construction Management
Project: Develop a mentorship program for first-generation students and institutionally minoritized individuals in the Construction Management program at Colorado State University
Inspiration: Inspiration for my Puksta Project came from my personal experience as a first-generation student at Colorado State University and in the Construction Management Department
Future Goals: What I hope to accomplish with my community engagement project is to further expand on Colorado States Universities and the Construction Management Programs’ commitment to offering first-generation students and minority students a diverse and inclusive environment. I hope that with the First Generation Program initiative, first-generation students find a smooth transition into the Construction Management Program
Joel was awarded first place in the “Service Learning and Leadership” category for his presentation titled “Construct, Build, and Assemble Diversity” at the 2022 Multicultural Undergraduate Research Art and Leadership Symposium at CSU!
https://chhs.source.colostate.edu/college-of-health-and-human-sciences-students-among-winners-of-the-2022-murals/
Posted on December 31, 2021
Major: Human Development and Family Studies with a concentration in Pre-Health
Project: I would like to continue to advocate and become involved with Latino families who have children with special needs. I would like for Latino families to be able to have access to resources, services, and overall support so that they can be successful along with their children. Above all, I would like to educate our communities in ways we can help Latino families become integrated with the community.
Inspiration: For the past 7 years, I have been volunteering my time to a family who has two boys with special needs, I would help with everything that was needed from changing diapers to translating at doctor appointments. Through this experience, it is that I saw that there was a lack of resources and support for Latino families who had children with special needs. And I wanted to be a support system for individuals that needed support. Furthermore, I became involved with an organization in the Roaring Fork Valley, La Esperanza de Emily, that supports the goal of supporting Latino families who have children with special needs. Through this organization, it is that I gained so much more inspiration to advocate for the Latino community.
Future Goals: Through my community engagement work, I hope to create a support group for Latino parents who have children with special needs and be able to contribute my work and service to La Esperanza de Emily. For me, it is hard to want to visualize and only wants to accomplish one single thing, for I am extremely passionate and devoted to this topic and would like to do so much to help. Therefore, it is all a work in progress for now and I will see where my passion will take me.
Posted on December 31, 2021
Major: Nutrition and Food Science, Minor in Chem, Pre-dental
Project: For my project, I have researched nutrition, good oral hygiene practices, chronic diseases, homelessness and all correlations between these topics. I hope to be able to talk to local dentists and ask for donations of toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss that people usually get after every hygiene visit. I plan to package and distribute these to the local homeless people that I serve at the Fort Collins Rescue Mission. My plan is to give one bag to every person when they’re getting their meal an informational pamphlet regarding the importance of dental health & overall health. My goals and visions are to fill a void by supplying resources and educating others to help improve dental hygiene and the overall health of homeless and low-income people.
Inspiration: When my dad was diagnosed with a rare auto-immune disease, it sparked my interest in the dental field due to the disease having a large effect on his oral health. Over the course of my education, I have come to realize that so much of our overall health is affected by what is going on inside our mouths. According to the CDC, oral conditions are frequently considered separate from other chronic conditions, but these are actually interrelated. Poor oral health is associated with other chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. As a local volunteer myself, I can say that there is no specific work being done on the issue of dental hygiene in Fort Collins regarding homeless or low-income people and families.
Future Goals: Every member of the homeless community will have resources and access for dental health care, Continuous supplies will be donated, Find someone to eventually take over this project idea‚ Dental Hygiene will contribute to their overall health‚ More Biofilm Growth Experiment: Streptococci Viridians‚ Peru, impoverished areas, learn more, correlations? I believe that a happy, healthy, confident smile can go a long way (:
Posted on November 6, 2020
Majors: History, Political Science
Minors: Spanish, Critical Race and Ethnic Studies
Project: Textbook racism is a big issue in education that subconsciously affects youth and makes them feel ashamed of their identities. As a result, students experience internalized trauma where they do not see themselves succeeding because history does not show people like them achieving great things. I want students to feel empowered and unafraid to be themselves, so for my Puksta project, I am going to find ways to bring more representation in the school’s curriculum and potentially create a program that teaches students how to embrace their cultures.
Inspiration: Throughout my education, I never once had a Latinx teacher around to respond to my cultural necessities. Although the teachers I had were great individuals, none of them could understand how discouraging it can feel to look inside a textbook and not see anyone that matches your ethnicity, to read about the alleged heroes who murdered those who looked like you, and to never once be taught the positive impacts your community has made. Understanding the negative impacts of these one-sided portrayals, I want to empower students by teaching them about their powerful and dynamic cultures through history.
Future Plans: By bringing more representation in the school’s curriculum, I wish to motivate students in their studies and future successes to get them to a place where they are not only learning about history but creating it as well.
Posted on November 6, 2020
Major: Biochemistry
Minors: Biology, Human Health Systems and Sciences, and Medical Physics
Project: The health disparity crisis is in full effect as more individuals migrate to Colorado. It is extremely difficult for them to find access to healthcare, most times they do not have equitable access lin comparison to their neighbors. Through my work with the free clinic in Aurora, CO known as the D.A.W.N. Clinic, I have worked to assess the disparities in health care and have attempted to reduce the disparities. Through being a care coordinator at the clinic, I have assisted over 300 patients within the past 4 years gain access to free healthcare and register for other benefits including housing, transportation, food, and mental health benefits. I also do work with Red Equity to plan events to distribute period products at no cost! We distribute period packages all across the United States to help provide equal access to these products and gear towards eradicating the Pink Tax.
Inspiration: I come from a family of immigrants and I admire the sacrifices they make to build a life in the U.S. so their children can attend better schools and have larger accessibility to resources and opportunities, in comparison to what they might have had in their country of origin. The difficulties of securing jobs and houses, facing cultural and language barriers, and accessing services are not easy tasks to face, it is inspiring to me that my family and others have overcome those (and more) challenges.
Future Plans: I plan on attending Physician Assistant school to tackle this issue further. I am excited to change how people are affected by healthcare systems and help create an environment that provides equal healthcare for all.
Posted on November 6, 2020
Major: Computer Science & Socio-Legal Studies
Project: Partnering with Girls Inc of Metro Denver(GIMD), a non-profit organization focused on girls’ education, to create a three-year advocacy program for high school-aged participants in hopes of helping them find their voice, recognize how much power they hold, and how much they can change the world.
Inspiration: Through the curriculum, GIMD is able to provide, young women, primarily women of color are given the opportunity to learn how to cultivate their voices and begin change-making early on in their social-justice career.
Future Goals: So far, this is a pilot program so we are learning as we go. I hope the program continues for as long as possible and young women have access to this opportunity and curriculum for years to come.
