School: North Carolina State University
Hometown: Raleigh, NC
Roots: Ecuador
Liliana (Lily) Rivas is an undergraduate student at North Carolina State University studying social work and Spanish literature. While originally from Ecuador, she has lived the majority of her life in Charlotte, NC but now calls Raleigh her home. Lily is proud of her heritage - namely the duality of her identity as an Ecuadorian-American. Her passions reside in education, specifically increasing access to higher education for minority and underrepresented students. Lily has experienced the challenges that marginalized groups face in higher education. Yet with a supportive network and resilience, Lily was able to be overcome these hurdles and has channeled her success into giving back to the Latinx community at NC State and beyond. In the future, Lily plans to pursue her Master’s degree in higher education administration to provide allyship and advocacy for those experiencing similar challenges in their educational journeys.