We feel honored and very content to announce that Immigration Nexus and ONE Children’s Foundation continues to grow! Today, we would like to welcome Dayanara Ruiz, Sofia Nelson, and Nanitzia Comparán, the newest members to our ONE Children’s Foundation team. These fantastic women will work together as immigration advocates by working on fundraising campaigns, creatively and engagingly posting on Immigration Nexus social media platforms as well as encouraging other volunteers and sponsors to join our cause.

Dayanara Ruiz, will work as Fundraising. She is a recent graduate from UC Los Angeles, where she learned about policies and government structures and their effects on marginalized communities. Dayanara grew up in the border region of San Diego- Tijuana, where she was able to experience and gain a firsthand perspective on the effects that the distribution of resources has on communities. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Public Health from USC, in order to further understand the disparities that access to basic needs has on our society. Dayanara expressed that her heart lies in finding vessels to provide underprivileged communities access to quality health and education, and she is working on gaining the academic tools to in a future assist in the accomplishment of this dream. Her desire to be a part of the ONE Children’s Foundation comes from the mix of academic and personal interests, and in our current humanitarian crisis it is vital to assist this team that is trying to provide relief through the COVID-19 Humanitarian Relief Campaign.

Sofia Nelson and Nanitzia Comparán will join the team as Immigration Advocates. Nanitzia is a transnational student pursuing a double-major in Communication and International Studies Political Science at UC San Diego. Nanitzia grew up in Tijuana, Mexico, and after graduating high school she decided to pursue higher education in the U.S. As a transnational student, she began to cross the border frequently and this interaction gave her a new perspective on the world. She explains that her passion for immigration came with her awareness of the responsibilities that come with the privileges she is granted every day. This has made her committed to lending her voice to those who are not able to speak up by themselves, especially at these uncertain times. Nanitzia hopes that she will be able to combine her passion for immigration and the media, to collectively create change through media involved projects, activism, and policies. Her interest in joining the Immigration Nexus team comes from her love for the media, immigration, volunteering, and desire to make a difference in the world.

Sofia is currently a student at UC San Diego pursuing a major in International Political Science and two minors in Urban Studies & Planning and Data Analysis. Similar to her new colleagues, Sofia also grew up in the binational mega-region of San Diego- Tijuana. Her exposure to the drastic contrast between these two urban landscapes challenged Sofia’s perception of standards of living across the globe. It made her wonder why Western ideologies were not as successful in the development of Latin American nations, and the role that culture plays in the creation of successful development policies in this region. Sofia grew up witnessing the significant gap between struggles on both sides of the border and hopes to apply her perspective and privilege towards the creation of policies that increase living standards, access to opportunities, and socio-economic mobility in the Latin American region. Now, Sofia strives to understand the world that we live in through the power of policy and data. She looks forward to being part of the Immigration Nexus team to educate our communities in the struggles and obstacles faced as a 21st century immigrant and the role of policy in shaping their lives.

We are delighted to have them on board as part of our team. We are sure they will bring new ideas and perspectives to better strengthen our organization. On that note, we would also like to extend our invitation to anyone else who would like to join our team. Volunteering opportunities continue to be available, the possibilities are endless. Please feel free to contact anyone of our new members or visit our website if you have any questions or would like to learn more about how to join our team and what we do as an organization.