Lupita grew up in Salinas Valley, in King City, California. Her lived experiences in a Latino/x rich and predominantly agricultural area are what guided her to pursue a career in public health. As a first-generation college student, she holds a Master of Public Health degree with a focus on Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health from UC Berkeley and a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition Science from UC Davis. She has a special interest in working with Spanish-speaking community members to elevate their voices and work towards creating more culturally congruent health interventions. Her master’s capstone explored the association between Mexican Cultural Values and depression and anxiety symptoms among adolescents in Salinas Valley.

As a research analyst at the LCOE, Lupita works on various projects. Currently, she, along with other colleagues at the LCOE and the UCSF Health Policy Institute, are working to create a Latino/x Health Experiences Chartbook, funded by the California Health Care Foundation. The chartbook aims to be a tool for Latino/x health advocates and as a vessel to catalyze a statewide conversation about Latino/x health disparities in California. She also oversees a project funded by the San Francisco Department of Health and Human Services' Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), working with partner community-based organizations (CBOs) serving San Francisco youth. Through these connections with CBOs, the LCOE has strengthen ties with community partners, building trusting and lasting relationships with organizations throughout the city. In addition, she oversees Leadership, Advocacy, Community Engagement Summer (LACES) Program which is an arm of the DCYF project. LACES is an 8-week summer program for medical, graduate and undergraduate students, where they provide onsite support to collaborating CBO partners, supporting their summer programming. Through these various LCOE projects, Lupita finds great joy in building trusting relationships with community partners.

In her free time, Lupita enjoys traveling, reading, being outdoors, and crafting with her friends.