Cristina Ameyalli Nava is from Guadalajara, Mexico. Growing up in the Bay Area, California, Ameyalli learned to fluently speak, read and write in both English and Spanish. Her love for literature and language, in addition to her strong cultural roots and family struggles as a first generation student, shaped her desire to one day become an English professor. With her experience as a private bilingual tutor, Ameyalli is now pursuing her Bachelor’s degree at California State University, East Bay, after transferring with her Associate of Arts Transfer degree from Chabot College.

Through her experiences in immigrant communities, Ameyalli is inspired to make a change through teaching and her pursuit in higher education. Ameyalli has taken it upon herself to keep safe spaces for undocumented communities and allies alive and growing at both of her college campuses. She aims to keep seeking resources and amplifying the voices of the underrepresented.

Ameyalli has had the honor of receiving many amazing opportunities as a public speaker, fellow, and scholarship recipient for organizations like the Chicana Latina Foundation and the Chicanx Latinx Youth Leadership Program. As a first generation, low-income, woman of color, and through her passion of finding power through higher education, Ameyalli has taken advantage of any educational opportunity. Her educational prowess, in addition to her entrepreneurial skills, even motivated Ameyalli to start her own brand and establish her small business, Cris Art Creations.

Ameyalli hopes to graduate with her masters degree in English, become an English professor, start her own private tutoring firm, and eventually transition into law school in order to become a civil rights attorney. She also wants to use her experiences to transform lives; aspiring to one day publish her own story, host her own podcast, and be an inspirational speaker to the same communities that have shaped her own life.

For the DreamSF Fellowship, Ameyalli has been placed with Immigrant Rising. Ameyalli was impressed by the organization’s goal of providing resources to immigrant communities and also deeply believes in transforming lives through education. As a fellow, she will be writing memos in response to recipients who fill out the Immigration Legal Intake Service.

In her freetime, Ameyalli loves to spend time with her puppy, family, and friends. She enjoys photography, roller skating, listening to music, fashion, and above all, creating art.