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Ernesto Mejia, the proud son of Mexican immigrants, is a true example of the American dream. Diagnosed with the rare disease of Guillain Barré Syndrome at the age of 16 that left him temporarily paralyzed, he was not supposed to be a successful student, much less a College Dean of Students. Through his hardships, Ernesto learned to never give up on life, he now speaks to students, parents and teachers about overcoming obstacles and never giving up on the American Dream: Education.

 

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Julissa Calderon is an Afro-Latinx actress, writer, producer, and director from Miami, based in Los Angeles. She can be seen playing the dynamic role of Yessika Castillo, a strong-willed activist, in the MACRO/Netflix series, GENTEFIED. Prior to that, she spent two-years at Buzzfeed’s Pero Like channel where her videos garnered over 100 million views across digital platforms. Julissa is passionate about Afro-Latino representation and challenging Latino stereotypes. Some of her videos such as “Pelo Bueno, Pelo Malo” and “Sammy Sosa’s skin color rant” have been featured in numerous news outlets. She is currently on a multi-college speaking tour where she uses her platform to share and celebrate her experiences as an Afro-Latinx woman.

 

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