Fall 2024 - Spring 2025

Abril Ventura

Abril Ventura grew up in Matamoros, Mexico, and moved to Brownsville, Texas, with her family when she was 7 years old. She is currently a second-year student at Northeastern University, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Business Administration. Her upbringing in a border town has kept her close to her Mexican culture and Tex-Mex traditions, but it also exposed her to the immigration challenges faced by her family and community. This experience inspired her to join U-LAMP to gain the skills needed to one day give back to her community.
This program allows her to develop the skills and knowledge she needs to address the social and legal challenges faced by Latino immigrant communities. She hopes to use these experiences and connections to work on policies that support immigrants and marginalized groups.

David Vargas

David Vargas is currently a junior at Queens College, majoring in History with a minor in Legal Studies. He is deeply passionate about advocating for vulnerable populations, particularly unaccompanied minors, and is committed to making a meaningful difference in their lives. Born in Manhattan and raised in Queens, David has been shaped by the vibrant and diverse community around him. His greatest inspirations are his parents, who immigrated from Ecuador in the early 1990s. Raised in a Spanish-speaking household, David became fluent in the language, a skill that allows him to connect deeply with Latin American minors and their families. As a History major with a focus on legal studies, David has explored the historical and legal dimensions of immigration, gaining insight into the systemic challenges immigrants face in the United States. His academic studies have equipped him with a comprehensive understanding of immigration law, while his personal experiences have reinforced his commitment to creating meaningful change. He is enthusiastic about the opportunity to collaborate with lawyers, social workers, and other professionals in this project to ensure that comprehensive care and support are provided to these minors. David’s long-term goal is to attend law school and become an immigration lawyer. He is committed to dedicating his career to helping not only minors but people from all backgrounds. By advocating for justice and opening doors for those in need, David hopes to help create a more equitable future for all.

Erika Zavaleta

Erika Zavaleta is from Orlando, Florida, and the daughter of Peruvian immigrants. She is majoring in Behavioral Neuroscience and Philosophy with a minor in Criminal Justice. After completing her studies at Northeastern, she plans to attend law school. Over the summer, Erika studied ethnic conflict and identity in post-war societies during a study abroad program in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, where she also explored the migration patterns resulting from the conflict. Her experience in this program, along with her background as the child of immigrants, has inspired her to pursue a career in immigration and human rights law. Erika is excited to work with ULAMP and hopes to continue contributing to this field in the future.

Lizbeth Robledo

Lizbeth Robledo is a first-year student from Houston, Texas. Her parents are from a small pueblo in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, and they moved to Texas with her brother when he was one year old. Her parents’ story not only shifted her understanding of the challenges faced in coming to the US, but also shifted her desires to helping others through community service and through her career aspirations. Her community in Houston was y made up primarily of Mexican immigrants leading her to have interests in immigration law. She is currently attending Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, pursuing a major in Criminology and Criminal Justice.

Martina Una

Martina was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina where she lived until she was five years old. She then moved to Santiago, Chile for eight years until she immigrated to the United States at age 12. Migrating as well as being exposed to different cultures at an early age sparked her interest in immigration, languages, and international politics. She is currently studying International Affairs at Northeastern University with minors in Political Science and Studio Art. Outside of her studies, Martina loves to work and volunteer with kids. She has worked at different camps and volunteered with various nonprofits around Boston. Martina looks forward to using her academic knowledge to help children navigate the immigration process she has become familiar with.

Sergio Martinez

Sergio Martínez is a junior at CUNY Queens College. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he moved to New York in 2022 to pursue a degree in Political Science, with dreams of attending Law School. Although his experience emigrating to the US can be considered an exceedingly “lucky” one, with his legal status as a Puerto Rican affording him American citizenship and a straightforward migration process, he recognizes his own experience is not that of many other Latinos who seek to take a similar path as himself. He hopes that becoming a U-LAMPer will help him understand the immigration process, and its shortcomings, more deeply. Above all, however, he is committed to assisting our partners and working to help our newcomers.