The first-born daughter of Mexican immigrants, Leti began her education in the U.S. speaking only Spanish. Despite an unwelcoming school environment, she was the first member of her extended family to complete high school gaining admission to Stanford. In 1994 she joined the faculty at SF State, focusing her professional efforts to “give back” to the communities who supported her professional advancement. She remains motivated by Cesar Chavez’ words, "We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community."