Josefina Jaramillo
University of San DiegoJosefina Jaramillo, a third-year student at the University of San Diego (USD), is an active and engaged leader committed to creating positive social change in the larger San Diego community. Through USD's Mulvaney Center, Josefina was selected, among numerous student leaders, to serve as the Director of the Beyond Borders program. In her role she has become an advocate for immigrant justice as well as an educator to her peers. By exposing other students to cross border immersive and educational experiences, Josefina works to transform the lens through which people see immigrants, to include the effects of the border.
In addition to her exemplary work as Director, Josefina is active and engaged in a wide range of social issues, which include: education, homelessness, rights for the elderly, and civic dialogue. She has a deep understanding for the complexity of each social issue and their intersections, and her wisdom rests far beyond her years. Josefina is currently majoring in International Business and Finance, with the aspiration of connecting her studies to the advocacy and empowerment of marginalized immigrant communities.
Josefina Jaramillo's community engagement, passion for social issues, and desire to follow a career path dedicated to marginalized communities illustrates her values. She embodies USD's commitment, as a Roman Catholic institution, to advancing academic excellence, creating a diverse and inclusive community and preparing leaders who are dedicated to ethical conduct and compassionate service.
Personal Statement
My name is Josefina Jaramillo and I am a Junior at the University of San Diego. As a child, I was raised in Nogales, a city that straddles both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. It was through the experience of being raised in a bilingual border town that I quickly became an advocate for immigrant justice. As I have entered into my college years, I have tried my best to connect both my identity and life's story to the work that I now endlessly defend. I serve as the Director of a program called Beyond Borders at USD. Our program strives to create awareness among students on campus regarding issues related to the border. We do so by leading immersion trips to Tijuana and immigrant communities in San Diego. I am also a Site Coordinator for a shelter for undocumented minors where we hold a "Social Justice through Art" Program on a weekly basis. My work with these programs and having grown up in a border town are what have inspired me to be the empathic, civically engaged young woman that I am today.