Tag: campaign work

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ASIA RODGERS ’15

ASIA RODGERS ’15

Educational Background: Southern Methodist University: BA in Human Rights; Minor in Women’s and Gender Studies (2015)

SMU Accomplishments: Asia traveled globally with the SMU Human Rights Program to Costa Rica. She engaged the Dallas community by volunteering with anti-trafficking organizations Mosaic Family Services and New Friends New Life. Asia worked to organize the SMU Women’s Symposium through her leadership in SMU Core, the student organization that brings this symposium to life each year. Through the SMU Engaged Learning Fellowship, she founded Art Healing, a program that used art to build the confidence of formerly trafficked or incarcerated women. Through Art Healing, she provided access to art classes and events where these women are able to showcase their creative work.

Through her anti-trafficking initiative, she was selected to attend the eighth annual Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) meeting in 2015. She also served as a campus representative for CGI U, connecting more SMU students to this opportunity. 

Postbaccalaureate Career: Following graduation, Asia deepened her relationship with Dallas’ nonprofit community. She has worked for more than eight different nonprofits helping them with fundraising strategies, campaign planning, donor engagement, and team building workshops. Her work in the nonprofit/philanthropy sector has included roles with the Texas Women’s Foundation and the Communities Foundation of Texas. Today, Asia continues to fuse her passion for community engagement and data-driven analytics through Asia Rodgers Consulting, her consulting business for nonprofits. 

Learn more about Asia’s post-graduation journey through the following link:

Updated January 2022

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MAYRA HUERTA ‘16

MAYRA HUERTA ’16

Educational Background: Southern Methodist University: BA in Human Rights, International Studies (2016)

SMU Accomplishments: Mayra was active in the Dallas community during her undergraduate years. She interned with the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, while working as an immigration paralegal with the Workers Defense Project. She graduated cum laude from the university. 

Postbaccalaureate Career: Following graduation, Mayra has worked for over five years with the Workers Defense Project, a statewide membership organization fighting for better working conditions for Texans. Mayra has led key initiatives as Legal Manager for WPD and today as WPD’s  Austin Campaign Manager. In addition to her work for low-income and immigrant Texans, Mayra has been active in her local community through executive leadership with the Austin Young Active Labor Leaders and has served as a Texas AFL-CIO Scholarship Committee member. Mayra continues to advance her education and organizing skills as a graduate of the Ruth Ellinger Labor Leaders School with Texas AFL-CIO, a member of the Transform Finance Cohort, and a Resident with the Windcall Institute for community organizers. 

Learn more about Mayra’s post-graduation journey through the following link:

Updated January 2022

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OMAR SALAZAR ’19

OMAR SALAZAR ’19

Educational Background: Southern Methodist University: BA in Human Rights; BS in Sociology (2019)

SMU Accomplishments: Omar held many leadership positions across campus, serving the university as a Resident Assistant (RA),a student officer in College Hispanic American Students (CHAS), the First-Year Student Director for Rotunda Scholars, and a member of Sigma Lambda Beta fraternity. He was recognized as a Hunt Leadership Scholar, a student speaker at the university’s MLK Unity Walk, and a recipient of the Dorothy Amman Award for his service to SMU. 

Postbaccalaureate Career: Following graduation, Omar leveraged his passion for social entrepreneurship to create Enlace Solutions LLC, where he consults for businesses and equity-focused nonprofit organizations that provide services or products to Spanish-speaking populations. In addition to serving as the founder and CEO of Enlace, Omar also engaged the Dallas community as an Emerging Leader in Philanthropy Fellow with the Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT) and as Campaign Activity and Management Program (CAMP) Fellow. Today, he works as the Communications Manager for Dallas Kids First, a political organization that works to bridge the gap between constituents and high-quality elected school boards. 

Learn more about Omar’s post-graduation journey through the following link:

Updated January 2022

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SAMANTHA MATTHEWS ‘12

SAMANTHA MATTHEWS ‘12

Educational Background: Southern Methodist University: BA in Human Rights (2012)

Hunter College: MS in Early Childhood Education, Special Education (2015)

SMU Accomplishments: Through the SMU Human Rights Program, Samantha traveled globally with the program to Rwanda. At SMU, Samantha was involved with Best Buddies and served as the Community Service Chair for Chi Omega sorority. She connected with the Dallas community by volunteering as an after-school tutor and the director of a summer camp for refugee youth in Dallas’ Vickery Meadow neighborhood. She and Shireen Tavakoli ‘12 were the first SMU students to receive a B.A. in Human Rights. 

Postbaccalaureate Career: Samantha moved to New York City after graduation, where, through her Teach For America (TFA) fellowship, she served as a lead teacher with SCO Family of Services and worked with Special Education Teacher Support Services at Harlem Village Academy. Upon her return to Dallas, Samantha gave back to her community as a volunteer and consultant with Save the Children, a member of the Lynn McBee for Dallas Mayor Campaign, a Board Member at Hearts Across Romania, and as a Board Member with the AT&T Performing Arts Center Auxiliary Board. She has impacted Dallas’ nonprofit community in her work as the Executive Director at Texas Legends Care, through which the NBA G League basketball team Texas Legends (affiliated with the Dallas Mavericks) helps disadvantaged children via educational and sports initiatives. Later, as an associate at Allyn Media, she focused on nonprofit development and public affairs campaigns. Most recently, she has worked directly with Afghan refugee families arriving at Fort Bliss as they resettle in the United States. Samantha shares that she is “forever grateful to be honored as one of the first to receive a Human Rights degree at SMU.”

Learn more about Samantha’s post-graduation journey through the following links:

Updated January 2022