Melissa Zamora

Melissa standing in front of a building at SJSU Senior Student Academic Success Specialist

Bio: As a proud first-generation Latina college graduate and professional, Melissa’s personal background and professional experiences fuels her motivation to partner with SJSU students to achieve academic success! Melissa is a proud daughter of Mexican immigrants, and was raised in Wasco, CA, a small rural town in the agricultural rich region of California’s Central Valley. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Chicana and Chicano Studies with minors in Education and Sociology from University of California, Davis; and her Master’s degree in Chicana and Chicano Studies with an emphasis in Education from San José State University. Her personal background led her to develop her academic interests on exploring rural college accessibility factors, particularly in the context of Latinx students in California’s Central Valley.

During her time at UC Davis, she grew a passion for contributing to holistic student retention initiatives in shaping students' sense of belonging at the university through the Student Recruitment and Retention Center. While as a grad student at SJSU, she served as a CCS Mentor for the CCS 10A & 10B lower division courses. She has worked with local college access & success nonprofits contributing to post-secondary persistence and partnering with first-generation scholars from East Oakland, Eastside San Jose, and East Palo Alto in their academic journeys. Before starting her role as the Sr. SASS, she served at a workforce development nonprofit where she provided career advising services for historically underrepresented IT job seekers. She’s passionate about equity, inclusion, advocacy, and fostering a sense of belonging amongst communities she’s been a part of.

Outside of helping students become the best version of themselves, she stays motivated through her CrossFit fitness journey. She is a proud hija, Tía, hermana, and is passionate about her familia y cultura Mexicana.

Q & A

1. What was your favorite class in undergrad?

One of my favorite classes in undergrad was, “The Design of Coffee,” where I learned the perfect ratio and chemistry behind brewing the perfect cup of coffee. While I truly did enjoy all of my Chicana/o Studies and ethnic studies courses at UC Davis, an eye opening course (also my first upper division course!) was, “Latin American Women’s Engagement in Social Movements.” I left that class everyday empowered learning about Latinas organizing against social political injustices in Latin America, and it brought me perspective of intersectionality with Chicana feminist contexts.

2. What are some of the places you have traveled to?

I have traveled to Michoacán, Mexico, and I hope to explore more of Mexico in the near future! I have also traveled to Barcelona, Spain, and the Dominican Republic. I very much enjoy exploring all of California, and I am grateful to have had opportunities to visit other cities here outside of California like Washington DC, New York City, Chicago, and Lake Tahoe.

3. What is your piece of advice for incoming students?

My piece of advice for incoming students is to get comfortable with embracing discomfort. That can mean many different things such as, challenging yourself to speak up in a large class, working on your application materials for that summer job you are excited about, and exploring new hobbies and interests. Everything you do is practice for becoming the best version of yourself. Start exploring your long-term goals early because as you continue to get clarity, you’ll feel more engaged and confident in your academic endeavors.

Lastly, make sure you discover what healthy self-care practices work for you, and practice them each day so you can show up feeling your best. Each day is an opportunity to recharge and restart.