María Paula Moreno Vivas

María is a Housing Program Coordinator at Nuestra Casa, a nonprofit that uplifts Latino families in East Palo Alto through community engagement, education, and advocacy. María grew up in Colombia and began studying political science at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá and later Berkeley City College. She ultimately transferred to SF State, focusing on urban policy, primarily around poverty and housing, working full-time and graduating Summa Cum Laude. As a student in Bogotá, María worked with families displaced by violence, helping implement local social programs. María was recently accepted to the Master Program in Urban Studies from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the Université Libre de Bruxelles.

Advice for current and future PLSI students:

My main advice would be to dream big. We can get lost in the day-to-day routine and settle for what feels comfortable. There are many incredible resources and opportunities that we can all take advantage of out there!