About Paola

Paola Monserrat Romo Zepeda (She/Her/Hers/Ella) is a first-generation college student from Mexico City, Mexico. Paola came into the United States very young and lived most of her life in Moreno Valley and San Jacinto, California. Paola grew up with divorced parents and is the youngest of 2 on her father's side and the middle child of 3 on her mother's side. Despite facing personal and institutional barriers in her K-12 educational trajectory, Paola grew committed to pursuing a postsecondary education after taking courses as a high school student at her local community college in Moreno Valley. After being labeled as a “low achiever” in high school, Paola saw higher education as an avenue for social mobility, an opportunity to serve as a role model for her younger sister, and as a way to define her own potential set by her own expectations.

In her spare time, Paola loves hanging out with her little sister Luna, watches movies, does pointillism art, writes poetry, and tends to her 40+ house plants. She is a sentimentalist that values human connection and experiences. Her love for people and the belief that everyone deserves love guides her work and passion.

A Love for Student Affairs

After navigating the California Community College system as a dual enrollment student, Paola set out to pursue her Bachelors at California State University, San Marcos. In 2019, Paola became the first person in her family to graduate from college, earning a bachelor's degree in Sociology. Examining the role of intersecting identities such as race, gender, and class in relation to its role in society came handy for Paola as she served 3 years as a Resident Advisor and Senior Resident Advisor within the CSUSM Housing Department.

Paola prided herself in taking a student-centered approach in her leadership role; one that encouraged students to bring their cultures, values, and true selves to the housing community and beyond. For this work, Paola earned recognition from the university with the Civility Award, an honor reserved for those who demonstrate a dedication to student development, civil discourse and student-focused programming. In true Student Affairs fashion, Paola took on more than one leadership role at her institution. She served as Vice President of Active Minds to help combat mental health stigmas, Student Health Advisory Council where she sat on a committee of students from different campus departments to make a plan for more student-focused health options, and Resident Hall Council to ensure that students were provided with a residential community that fostered student growth.

Professional & Personal Growth

Currently, Paola is a second year master's student in the Postsecondary Educational Leadership with a specialization in Student Affairs program at San Diego State University. She currently serves as Assistant Resident Hall Coordinator within the Residential Education Office at SDSU where she co-manages front desk staff, Resident Assistants, Academic Mentors and manages a judicial caseload. In addition to serving as FDSM, Paola also serves as a Teaching Assistant for the undergraduate leadership minor at SDSU. In this role, Paola draws on her own experiences and cultural wealth to facilitate important and difficult discussions surrounding student growth and development into leadership. As someone who was once pushed out of educational access and opportunity as a Woman of Color, Paola understands the importance of creating equitable spaces for all. She brings this lens into her role as Social Justice Coordinator for her program’s Student Advisory Board.

Despite winning the SDSU Division of Student Affairs and Campus Diversity: Rising Star Award, Paola recognizes that there is still much work to be done both internally and systemically for racial equity to advance. She also realizes that she has gotten this far in her education with the help and support from leadership in her housing roles and mentors Fernando Garcia and Cynthia Estrada. Despite all the challenges along the way they continue to inspire her to believe in education and herself. With her background in Sociology, she hopes to continue interrogating her own privileges and build upon her knowledge of how systems of oppression function and impact Students of Color. One of the ways that she hopes to do this is through research. Despite nagging feelings of imposter syndrome, Paola is working through her identity as a scholar who is interested in learning more about the varying Latinx college student experiences. Specifically, she is interested in Latina gender roles as it relates to familial expectations in seeking higher education as well as exploring colorism in Latinx communities.