Yuritzi Estrada

Class of 2025

Faculty Advisor: Rebecca Tarlau

Peer Mentor: Christian Robles-Baez

Hello, my name is Yuritzi Estrada, I was born in Oxnard but grew up in Goleta California. I majored in Chicano/Chicana studies as an undergraduate at the University of California Los Angeles. 

I grew up surrounded by my Latinx community and was involved in many community cultural groups, one being Folkorico. I also spent my time in High school being involved in grassroots programs, advocating for ethnic studies to be taught in high school, implementing restorative transformative approaches, and culturally responsive material in classrooms. I have volunteered and worked with k-12 students, primarily alternative education students. I provided system-impacted students with mentoring and aided health and wellness hikes with the students. At UCLA I was involved in a student group called MEChA and we spent months planning and preparing for the yearly Latine Youth Conference, where underrepresented students come to college campuses and get to immerse themselves in college readiness and cultural workshops, food is also provided and our main goal with preparing this event is so that underrepresented students feel represented on college campuses. During my free time, I like to go hiking, exercise, dance, make food, try new restaurants, and listen to my favorite music artist Kali Uchis. 

My research interests include how we can implement Mesoamerican foodways to modern-day diets and focus on how it is a sustainable way of eating.