Salma Yajaira Gómez Pineda
Universidad de MonterreySalma Yajaira Gómez Pineda, a sixth semester of the Engineering degree in Sustainable Innovation and Energy student at the University of Monterrey, is a worthy candidate for the Newman Civic Fellowship, being a faithful bearer of the characteristics and values of our University by demonstrating that “the human being only reaches its fullness in the service of others.” She is considered for the tangible results of her social engagement, her constant spirit of improvement, and academic excellence. Salma is currently part of the Youth Council of the State Institute of Youth (INJUVE), which brings together state leaders to act as representatives of the young people of the state of Nuevo León. She is responsible for public relations of the student group Oikos and for promoting social responsibility in the chapter of the Mexican Institute of Executives in Finance. She was the leader of the project named Directing the Future at Fundación Alfa and also served as logistics coordinator of the Talentos de Barrio program at UDEM. Salma was distinguished with the "Hero Medal" by the Inter-American University for Development (UNID) due to her leadership, citizen participation, and social impact.
Personal Statement
Throughout my life, I have been involved in activities that seek to improve my community. However, it was until high school that I began to do it in a more structured way, participating in volunteering, coordinating, and creating various initiatives in order to reduce some latent problems in society. Some projects in which I participated coordinating and leading were “Encaminando el Futuro” y “Talento de Barrio” aimed at public schools in which they seek to improve educational quality, reduce the dropout rate and promote environmental education. I am currently involved in the CO2NSERVE project, in which I am co-creator and coordinator of the team. This project seeks to mitigate deforestation and desertification in refugee camps in Zambia and in the municipality of Juárez, Nuevo León. In the refugee camp, the project is expected to impact with 15 direct jobs for the production of the ecological firewood product with benefits for 13 thousand people; In addition, the reforestation of public space in the municipality of Juárez will improve the quality of life of the people of the neighborhood. The project has strategic allies such as Drivers of Change, Casas Javer, Ashoka, PROVS A.C., and in turn, with the UN.