Passionate, curious, and a dream catcher, meet College Counselor Mariela Regalado| Leading Latina 2018
Mariela Regalado is a Bilingual, first generation, Dominican immigrant, equipped with a relentless passion that is poured towards her students’ success. As a College Counselor, her goal is to help change the landscape for students of color attending institutions of higher learning. As a student, Mariela experienced firsthand what it was like not being able to have the same access to opportunities as other students in her class. She was constantly asked the same question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”. Although her parents encouraged the curiosity and imagination she possessed, no one was there to support her with the search for colleges and possible career paths. Despite the expectation of doing well without the guidance, she was in need of, Mariela persevered and found her passion for education through her experiences as an undergraduate student. She started her career as an advisor through a program at Lehman College, where she assisted graduating high school students with choosing schools for their undergraduate careers. Soon after, she was able to become a full-time college counselor and now gives her students the opportunity to succeed. Mariela currently works for a nonprofit organization that serves over 3,000 college-bound students of color in NYC. Mariela works hard towards empowering the youth by providing them with tools to achieve their post-secondary goals and career readiness. An avid reader and writer, she also recognizes the importance of giving students a safe space to create and find themselves through art. Mariela facilitates creative writing and poetry workshops for teens and is currently working on documenting her multidimensional experience through bilingual poetry and prose. Through her position as a college counselor, Mariela is able to give students the advice and resources she once needed and wishes she had growing up. She believes college counseling is a social justice and intends to continue helping her students achieve the American Dream of furthering their education. You can read more about Mariela Regalado on her official website http://www.marielaregalado.com/ or @marielaregal Thanks to our sponsor & supporters: Main Sponsor CeniaNY | T-shirt by @aroundeco Hair and Makeup by Mariluz Fontanez | Video and Photography by: Innovation Media New York – Ivan Morales | Felipe Tehuitzil – Photographer Behind the scenes| Project Director: Ruben Martis | Image Consultant: Angie Reyn | Social Media Influencer Maria del Pilar Casal|Flower Decor by Flower Delivery NYC! LENY Editor and Social Media Consultant Nicole Lynch
Passionate, a fighter, and a dreamer meet Dahiana Perez | Leading Latina 2018
Dahiana Perez is a television host with extensive experience in media, production, and photography. Currently, Perez hosts “El Corazon de la Medicina”; a weekly talk show focused on presenting health information in simple terminology with the goal of educating the community about health issues, prevention, and treatment. Dahiana also hosts “Mas Latinos”; a show presented on Azteca TV network that highlights the lives of Latinos who reside outside of their respective countries, and how they overcome various obstacles to achieve their dreams and goals. Apart from hosting successful programs across various networks, she recently collaborated with the hit YouTube TV show “Latino-Ish,” which delves into real stories about the struggles Latinos experience in the US. Before becoming a TV host with a passion for the media arts, Dahiana was born in the Dominican Republic. At the age of 13, she arrived in NYC where she continued her education and went on to pursue a B.A. degree in Media Communication Arts at The City College of New York. Upon receiving her degree, Dahiana worked as a Media Assistant with Tiffany & Co, a premier, luxury, multinational, jewelry and silverware company, where she provided general assistance to the Director of Worldwide Media Relations; and administrative support to their Americas Media Relations team. After gaining experience as a Media Assistant, Dahiana joined the multi-platform, national media company, Univision Communications Inc. At UCI, Dahiana performed duties that enhanced her expertise in many areas such as, performing research to create coverage reports for executive management; collaborating with the distribution of social media content (English and Spanish) for the President’s blog; bilingual proofreading and editing of media alerts and press releases for broadcast, print and online media distribution; content management of their corporate website; as well as leading daily media recaps. In 2012, Dahiana began to expand and create her own opportunities by founding and producing her own weekly talk show called “Manana es Hoy,” where she focuses on issues relevant to the Latino community. The show features interviews with local business owners, professionals, prominent authors, and educators; with discussions about healthy living, lifestyle changes, culture, fashion and the arts. Dahiana Perez is also a photographer and freelancer for other national TV shows. She currently lives in New York City where she manages a photo lab/studio and promotes her photo booth business, PhotoFusion. She believes that through photography, you can freeze a special moment and make it last a lifetime. Currently presenting as a host at Acceso Total a Telemundo network program. You can learn more about Dahiana Perez at @dahianapereztv Thanks to our sponsor & supporters: Main Sponsor CeniaNY | T-shirt by @aroundeco Hair and Makeup by Mariluz Fontanez | Video and Photography by: Innovation Media New York – Ivan Morales | Felipe Tehuitzil – Photographer Behind the scenes| Project Director: Ruben Martis | Image Consultant: Angie Reyn | Social Media Influencer Maria del Pilar Casal|Flower Decor by Flower Delivery NYC! LENY Editor and Social Media Consultant Nicole Lynch
Strong, fearless, and determined meet Jenn Velez | Leading Latina 2018
I am Strong, fearless, and determined. Originally from Puerto Rico, Jenn Velez has been immersed in the Fashion Industry with 10 years of extensive experience. Before making her mark within the world of fashion, Jenn traveled to various countries (San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Bernardino, California, Salamanca, Spain) during her undergraduate career, successfully earning a degree in Business Administration and Marketing in addition to gaining certifications in Events Coordination, Fashion Design, and Pattern Making. Her love for fashion guided her towards an exciting journey in Barcelona, where she graduated with a Master’s degree in Fashion Management. The joy of traveling and living in different cities broadened her perspective, giving her a new outlook on life and the confidence to follow her dreams. Officially calling herself a New Yorker by adoption, Jenn moved to this fashion capital of the world in 2012. After 5 years of working in the apparel industry in NYC, she sought the opportunity to use her knowledge and experience as a vehicle for change. Jenn focused on aligning her passions for travel, fashion, and design by launching her very own company, Around, creating fashion that seeks to make an impact with social and environmental responsibility. Launched in September 2017, Around is a social enterprise creating premium quality travel inspired t-shirts that improve lives, protects the environment and empowers people to change the world. Made from organic cotton and recycled plastic bottles, AROUND t-shirts are Fair Trade Certified™ supporting better working conditions for farmers, factory workers, and women’s empowerment in India; every piece is made to order, designed and printed by hand in NYC. You can learn more about Jenn Velez and her company at www.aroundeco.com Thanks to our sponsor & supporters: Main Sponsor CeniaNY | T-shirt by @aroundeco Hair and Makeup by Mariluz Fontanez | Video and Photography by: Innovation Media New York – Ivan Morales | Felipe Tehuitzil – Photographer Behind the scenes| Project Director: Ruben Martis | Image Consultant: Angie Reyn | Social Media Influencer Maria del Pilar Casal|Flower Decor by Flower Delivery NYC! LENY Editor and Social Media Consultant Nicole Lynch