Vanessa is the Program Assistant in the Study Abroad office at DePaul University. From the West Coast to the Windy City, Vanessa moved from Northern California to Chicago in August 2023 to pursue her MEd in Higher Education at Loyola University Chicago. Vanessa earned her bachelor's degrees in Animal Science and Spanish from California State University, Chico. During her time at CSU, Chico Vanessa studied abroad in San Ramón, Costa Rica with her identical twin sister which sparked her interest and passion for global leadership and introduced her to the international education space.
As she returned from her studies abroad, she spent the next 4+ years working in International Education & Global Engagement as well as in New Student Orientation & Transition Programs. As a first-generation Latina, product of a TRIO program, and college graduate navigating higher education, mentors have contributed to every milestone in her academic career, and she wishes to continue this cycle of representation and mentorship in the roles/spaces she enters. Vanessa joined the team in September 2024 and is eager to represent the Mexican-American community as she engages in efforts that will impact the DePaul community as well as the greater community of Chicago. Upon graduation at Loyola University Chicago, Vanessa plans to pursue a Masters degree at DePaul in Spanish with the ultimate goal of teaching in a university setting, and one day leading/creating a study abroad program of her own!
