Elena Calderon
Former ASEMS Transfer Specialist
University of Arizona
Elena is a first-generation Latina college graduate and higher education professional. Elena was born in Mexico, raised in Washington State, and currently calls Arizona home. Elena is a strong advocate for higher education but also knows that minoritized students experience barriers that make attaining a higher education difficult. Elena was undocumented while pursuing her Bachelor of Science degree in Community Health, and her Master of Science degree in Communication Studies (both earned from Eastern Washington University). Elena was a previous DACA recipient and knows first-hand the implications of navigating the professional workforce and education field while undocumented. Her personal experience motivates her to pursue equity in higher education. Elena enjoys working one-on-one with students to make sure they are successful as they navigate their college journeys. Elena is a student in the Higher Education PhD program at The University of Arizona. Her research interests are based on utilizing arts-based research methods such as collage, poems, and narratives to highlight agency, familismo, and dichos within undocumented students' experiences of navigating higher education. Elena hopes to use research findings to effect change on college campuses and assure that all students, regardless of legal status, can succeed & feel included.
Research Interests:
Undocumented Students, Transfer Pathways, Immigration, Higher Education, First-Generation Latinx students.
Job Position:
STEP Student Success Advisor
Previous Position within STEM Bridge:
Transfer Coordinator/Student Success Specialist
Previous Teaching Experience:
Taught SCI 297 B Research Readiness course for incoming transfer students that were admitted into the ASEMS program at the University of Arizona (Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023)
Taught SCI 197 B Transfer Student Success Course for incoming transfer students in their first semester at the University of Arizona (Fall 2022, Spring 2023)
Other Previous Roles:
CIELO Graduate Student Assistant
ASU Academic Advisor-Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, The Polytechnic Campus (2018-2021)
ASU Academic Advisor-W.P. Carey School of Business, Tempe Campus (2017-2018)
Leadership Experience:
Elena was the host of Season 4 UndocuTalks Podcast
Keynote Speaker for Pacific Lutheran University in Washington State (March 2022)
Commencement Speaker for Wenatchee Valley College graduation in Wenatchee, Washington (June 2022)