Kimberly Guatemala-Luna
Kimberly Guatemala-Luna graduated from UC Davis in 2026 with
degrees in Cognitive Science and Psychology, along with a minor
in Education. During her time at the lab, she has conducted
in-depth participant interviews, worked on translating and
transcribing visual/auditory data, and managed quantitative data.
Through the lab Kimberly participated in community engagement
with STEM related projects at local elementary schools, and
supports K-12 educators with resources. Kimberly also served as
the co-president of Hermanas Unidas de UCD, a nonprofit
organization empowering latinx women in higher education.
Kimberly hopes to attend graduate school and receive a Masters in
Education and teaching credential to work in underserved
communities.
Maria Valdovinos
Maria Valdovinos graduated from UC Davis in 2026 with a degree in
Biopsychology and a minor in Data in Society. As a research
assistant in the lab, her work involved data collection,
transcription, coding, and analysis for projects aimed at
increasing community engagement in STEM education and supporting
K-12 educators. Outside of research, she is passionate about
promoting mental health, emotional literacy, and holistic
wellbeing within and beyond academic settings. In her spare time,
she enjoys taking walks, watching dramas, and reading as ways to
support her own wellbeing.
Maria Galarza-Gonzalez
Maria Galarza-Gonzalez graduated from UC Davis in 2026 with a
degree in Biopsychology and minors in Education, Global Studies,
and Data in Society. Passionate about social equity and
interested in advocacy, policy, social justice, and
environmentalism, she dreams of helping reduce health and
education disparities through interdisciplinary, collaborative
work. Galarza-Gonzalez hopes to do her part in making the world a
little better for those who come after. At our lab she has worked
with data collection, data transcription, and data analysis. In
her free time she enjoys listening to music, watching movies, and
reading.
Jasmine Lara
Jasmine Lara graduated from UC Davis in 2026 with a degree in
Human Development and a minor in Education. Having experience
through working with UC Davis’s Early Academic Outreach Program,
Jasmine has a passion for making higher education accessible for
students from low-income and first generation backgrounds. Other
experiences include working in K-6 classrooms as an intern,
working with students 1-on-1 or in groups to assist in their
learning on subjects in math, science, and English. She also
traveled abroad to Thailand for a summer to teach students K-8
English and made ESL curriculums. She hopes to break down
invisible barriers that still stand in students’ ways, especially
for students of color, and wants to pursue a career in
educational policy to promote academic programs that would
support a student’s educational journey from K-12. In her
free time she likes to read, watch movies, travel and partake in
outdoor recreational activities.
Leslie Valdez
Leslie S. Valdez graduated from UC Davis with a BA in Design and
minors in Education, Linguistics, and Entrepreneurship. During
her time at UC Davis, she served as Lab Manager for the Teacher
Education and Development Lab and played a key role in Comunidad
de Ciencia, a National Science Foundation-funded bilingual STEM
research project exploring community-centered learning in
elementary Latine students and families. Leslie’s undergraduate
research examined how culturally responsive programming
strengthens linguistic and cultural belonging among bilingual
undergraduate communities. Her broader experiences have included
managing and teaching in nontraditional learning environments,
with a focus on bilingual and community-based education. Leslie
is currently a Community School Coordinator for the Santa Rosa
City Schools District where she partners with students, families,
staff, and community partners to implement the California
Community School Model, creating an integrated support system
across multiple school sites using a whole-child approach.
