Dr. Trina M. Valdez is the State Education Liaison with the Department of Human Services (DHS). She is working as an advocate with the Utah Juvenile Court, State Board of Education and DHS to improve educational outcomes for youth in state care. She is committed to improving the educational experience for all Utah youth and their families. As a scholar and practitioner, she is developing a research, teaching and service philosophy aimed at addressing issues of access and equity in higher education. She is a two-time recipient of the Chicana/o Scholarship.

Laura Alvarez received the Chicana/o Scholarship her first year at the University of Utah in 2009. She also received a renewal scholarship and the Pete Suazo Corazón de la Raza award. Laura graduated from the University of Utah in 2014 with a B.S. in Marketing and a Minor in French. Laura is grateful for the generosity of the Chicana/o Scholarship Fund as well as for the mentorship and the opportunities that receiving the Chicana/o Scholarship provided for her. That is why she decided to become a board member soon after graduation. In her free time Laura enjoys traveling, learning new languages, trying new recipes, and exploring Utah’s rapidly changing foodie scene.

Erica Torres is the Project Facilitator with the Family Planning Elevated Program within the Division of Family Planning in the OB/GYN Department at the University of Utah School of Medicine. A graduate of the University of Utah, Erica is a recipient of the 2007 Chicana/o Scholarship award.  A proud daughter of migrant farm working parents, she is grateful for the opportunity the scholarship awarded her, as it gave her the opportunity to continue her undergraduate education and a Master in Public Health.