Cristina Jimenez, Managing Director

Cristina Jiménez is the Managing Director of the United We Dream Network, the national youth-led organizing network that promotes immigrant youth access to legal status and equal access to educational opportunities. She is a co-founder of the Network and served as chair of the Board of Directors for the past 2 years. Cristina has organized immigrant youth and workers for the passage of the DREAM Act, comprehensive immigration reform, and pro-immigrant legislation at the local and national level since 2004.

Cristina co-founded the New York State Youth Leadership Council, was an immigration policy consultant for the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy and an immigrant rights organizer at the Latin American Integration Center, now merged as Make the Road New York. She holds a Masters degree in Public Administration from the School of Public of Affairs at Baruch College, CUNY and graduated Cum Laude with a B.A. in Political Science and Business from Queens College, CUNY. Her awards include the Queens College’s Student Activities Award and New York City Council Proclamation for Outstanding Service to the Latino Community. Originally from Quito, Ecuador, Cristina migrated to United States at the age of 13, attending high school and college as an undocumented student.

Carlos Saavedra, National Coordinator

Carlos Saavedra has been organizing in the immigrant community for many years.  As an immigrant from Peru, he has seen first-hand the hardships faced by immigrants in Massachusetts.  For years Carlos has been part of campaign efforts to ensure that immigrant students in Massachusetts are able to fulfill their dreams of a college education and a better future. In 2005, Carlos was hired as a student organizer for the Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA).  While at MIRA, he organized immigrant students across the state and helped found the independent Student Immigrant Movement (SIM).

In 2008, Carlos assumed the role of Executive Director of SIM, which advocates for equal rights for the immigrant community. Under his leadership, SIM launched and succeeded in their 10 out of 10 Campaign – a campaign that aimed at getting the entire Massachusetts congressional delegation to co-sponsor the DREAM Act.

Gabriela Pacheco, UWD END Project Consultant

Gaby Pacheco is an undocumented student leader from Miami, Florida who wants to be a musical therapist and work with people with autism and Down syndrome. She has an AA in Music Ed. AS in Early Childhood education, and a BA in Special Education K-12.

In 2010, she walked 1,500 miles in support of the DREAM Act, to bring to light the plight of immigrants in this country, and to urge President Obama to stop the separations of families and deportations of DREAM act eligible youth; this walk was dubbed the Trail of DREAMs. She currently is the END (Education not Deportation) Project National Coordinator for the United We Dream Network. END is a project that seeks to stop the deportation of DREAM Act eligible youth by highlighting their stories and galvanizing support from the community. You can find out more at endourpain.com

Rosa Giuliana Saavedra-Vanacore

Born in Lima, Peru, Rosa Giuliana Saavedra-Vanacore immigrated to the United States with her family when she was six years old. She graduated magna cum laude from Middlebury College, where she designed her own major in Comparative Literature. Her languages include English, Spanish, French and Italian. She is now studying Quechua to reconnect with her indigenous roots. She joined the United We DREAM (UWD) Network in August 2011 as Education Not Deportation (END) Case Manager Consultant. She fights alongside DREAMers to stop their deportation by building individual campaigns with immigration attorneys and END Field Coordinators (EFCs). Prior to that, she was UWD’s END Policy Advocate. She has worked with UWD since the 2010 lame duck session where she researched legislative targets and coordinated actions on Capitol Hill.

Mrs. Saavedra-Vanacore previously served as Community Liaison and Research Advocate with the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) where she co-wrote the report “Latino Workers in the United States, 2011.” Her personal dedication to the movement, and her experience as an intern at the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center sparked her desire to pursue a career in immigration law and advocacy. She recently helped form the new UWD affiliate in Washington, DC – Capitol Dream Team.

Celso Mireles- Online Strategy Consultant

Celso Mireles was born in Juarez, Mexico and grew up in Phoenix, Arizona.  Celso witnessed first hand the gestation of radical legislation culminated in SB1070.  He has since then specialized in new media as a means of bringing a group of people too afraid to speak out together into a recognizable voice.  Celso is a co-founder of the Arizona Dream Act Coalition and a member of DRM Capitol Group.  Celso has fasted for nine days in front Senator John McCain’s office and is also one of original recruits of Dream Army.  Celso graduated from Arizona State University with a B.S in Business Management.  At the roadblock of not being able to obtain employment due to his immigration status, he created his own in the form of Computer Dude Services LLC.  His business offers New Media and Online Consulting, Web Design and Logo Design.

Myrna Orozco

Organization: Kansas/Missouri DREAM Alliance (KSMODA)

Region: Mid-South, Kansas

Originally from Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua in Mexico, Myrna immigrated to the United States with her family at  the age of 4. She  currently resides in Kansas City, MO, where she is a full time student majoring in Political Science and Non-Profit Leadership Studies at Rockhurst University.

Myrna was elected to that position as a representative for the Kansas/Missouri DREAM Alliance (KSMODA), where she currently serves as President. KSMODA is a youth led organization that conducts various programs to address the importance of higher education, and civic participation among immigrant youth and the passage of the DREAM Act. Myrna also serves as a board member for the Immigrant Justice Advocacy Movement (IJAM). IJAM is the only interfaith community organization solely focused on immigration issues in the KC metro area. Faith plays an important part of her life and she is committed to spreading the message of “Loving thy neighbor as thy self,” regardless of citizenship status.