Estrella Rocha-De La Cruz

Student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Estrella Rocha-De La Cruz is a sophomore at UNC-Chapel Hill, majoring in education with a minor in Latino Studies. While at Orange High School, she was part of several clubs: a spokesperson for the Minority Achievers Program, and the equity team, president of Somos Carolina and the National Spanish Honors Society. In the Equity team, she helped reinstate the African American studies course and initiated the Latinx Studies class. As president of Somos Carolina, she helped Latinx students connect with their cultural roots and become leaders through workshops. As the National Honors Society president, she organized tutoring for ESL students to help improve their grades. As a freshman in college, she became involved in the Political Action Committee of Mi Pueblo. As a vital member, she helped to table for different fundraisers, such as assisting local farm workers in NC. As a first-generation, low-income Latina, applying for college was difficult. Through this process, she became more aware of the challenges that low-income Latinx students must overcome and the lack of resources available. Inspired by the LatinxEd mission, she hopes to pursue a career in education and learn more about the policy-making aspect to help overcome these barriers.