Member Spotlight: Gissell Sanchez

For this month’s spotlight, I decided to share with our readers about the small town in Mexico where I grew up. I wish to share with you the appreciation and love that I have for this small town. My family comes from Tuxpan, a small town in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. Tuxpan is a unique town because it retains a lot of the indigenous traditions and customs that have been celebrated for hundreds of years. This native culture evolved from ancestors who merged beliefs based on prehispanic times and the Spanish colonization era. Tuxpan and its region belonged to the indigenous group or Etnia called “Nahuas” (/ˈnɑːwɑːz/) which is the largest indigenous group in Mexico. The origin of the name Tuxpan comes from “tochan” a word from the indigenous language Nahuatl that translates to “land of rabbits”.

Sign in Tuxpan – el pueblo de la fiesta eterna (the town of the eternal party)

The history of Tuxpan and its traditions and customs stem largely from religion. When Spaniards conquered Mexico, they forcefully introduced Catholicism to the natives to establish dominance. Even though the natives initially resisted, they were forced into surrender and absorbed Spanish customs from the conquistadores when their lands were taken away from them.  This led to natives adopting Catholicism as their religion and accepting saints as their patrons. This is important for Tuxpan’s history since native people from this region started creating celebrations to honor saints that they believed protected their communities against sickness and natural disasters. In modern times, Tuxpan is proudly recognized as “el pueblo de la fiesta eterna” (the town of the eternal party) because every year several celebrations and festivities are organized mainly to commemorate saints and patrons. These celebrations could range from small and local to much greater ones that involve the whole city and could last days. Next, I will describe the major festivity that occurs in May of each year. These “fiestas” and events are in honor to Tuxpan’s greatest patron “El Señor del Perdón” (the lord of forgiveness). The image of this patron saint—that is as old as this tradition—is a crucified Jesus Christ that can be appreciated at the major temple.

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Chayacate dancer in front of main temple, Tuxpan, Jal

It is believed that El Señor del Perdón has protected Tuxpan from natural disasters such as earthquakes and catastrophes from the neighboring volcano. To show their appreciation and devotion, los Tuxpanenses march through the streets in a great parade followed by various religious ceremonies as well as fairs and bailes for the next week after the opening parade. Another of the most iconic custom of Tuxpan is its traditional dances. Tuxpan is popular among the region for the cultural and folkloric traditional dances that can be appreciated on various occasions throughout the year. The two most popular ones are “los sonajeros” and “los chayacates”. Each of these dances has different styles and elements that symbolize different things. Los sonajeros is a prehispanic dance that symbolizes warriors and symbolizes a march as a war dance. Los chayacates on the other hand was a dance that began after the Spanish colonization and it represents a satirical representation of those Spaniards that came to conquer the Nahuas’ land.

Traditional Sonajero dancers of Tuxpan

Overall, this is a very brief description of some historic facts of Tuxpan and what Tuxpan represents. My favorite thing about my town and what I admire the most is its cultural richness. However, there is so much more to this town’s enchantment than what I described.  For example, the delicious unique food, the beautiful central plaza, the formidable mountain overlooking the city, and most importantly, the warmth of its people. 

2020-2021 Outreach Chair Gissell S. overlooking Tuxpan

The Mission: The colorful Latin spirit of San Francisco.

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Photo by: @jupagpaguitan

By: Chris Pineda

The beginning

The Mission District also known as The Mission, is San Francisco’s oldest neighborhood. It was originally home to the Ohlone until the Spanish had arrived. Later, The Mission became home to Italian, German, and Irish immigrants. As these European immigrants started moving to the suburbs, the Mexican community exponentially grew and the district started to became the Latin spirit of San Francisco.

The Latin Spirit of San Francisco

In the 1980’s, this part of San Francisco became home to more immigrants from Central and South America. People left their homelands and everything they knew to escape the political unrest and civil wars their countries were going through. This was the case for my grandparents and my young mother as they narrowly escaped a violent campaign that was occurring in Nicaragua and established their new home in San Francisco .

The Mission: An outdoor art gallery

There was never a dull day in The Mission. From dust till dawn, the sights and sounds made San Francisco a fast-paced environment. One could be overwhelmed if not used to. Growing up in the Mission during the Latin stronghold, I was not only exposed to music and amazing food from all of the world but also to meaningful art.

Balmy Alley

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Photo by: Nicholas Doyle

The murals around the neighborhood paint a mesmerizing story. Balmy Alley is a block long with the most murals in one place. In the 80’s, the murals once depicted the community’s anger over human rights and political violations that were happening in Central America. Now the murals express many subjects including overall human rights to the current gentrification San Francisco is confronting.

Clarion Alley

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Photo by: The City lane

The loud voice of San Francisco yells for social inclusiveness in Clarion Alley. This collection of 700 murals since 1992 speaks to San Francisco’s demand for social and environmental justice.  These murals are painted by the Clarion Alley Mural Project. Their goal for justice is shown through their art whether it be murals or performance arts throughout San Francisco.

EMPOWER. ENRICH. ENGAGE: The Women’s Building of San Francisco

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The mural on the Women’s Building is one of San Francisco’s biggest and most well-known murals. This building serves as a women-led community center for programs and services that advocate for gender equality and encourage social justice. The mural titled MaestraPeace was painted by seven women in 1994. The muralists wanted to capture feminine icons from history and fiction with MaestraPeace. Additionally, the names of over 600 women written in calligraphy can be found throughout the building.

The sights and sounds of The Mission made me proud to be from San Francisco. While we did not have much, San Francisco is rich in culture, diversity, and movement. I give credit to this district and city for making me the person I am today. No matter how San Francisco may change in the future, the colorful Latin Spirit will always live in The Mission.

El Sueño Americano

By Juan Gonzalez Valdivieso

Image: Alice Chavez

I’m grocery shopping with my mom. I run through the dairy aisle. I’m looking for the skim and whole milk. I retrieve the items and find her picking between heads of lettuce in the produce section. My eyes wander with no final destination, until they cross with a classmate nearby, who’s doing the same thing. Upon my arrival, my mom notices I brought 2% instead of a whole. She exclaims, “Juanes, te pedí leche entéra, no ésta. Porfa tráeme la que te pedí”. If she’s overheard, she doesn’t realize nor care really. She says these words with the shameless and confident nature only an immigrant mother – who’s lived too much life yet seen too little world – can say. I feel ashamed, and acutely embarrassed. What will my classmate think? That we’re illegals? That we’re stupid for not speaking the native language? That we don’t belong here? That we’re inferior? That we’re different? I say nothing of these questions, and instead occult my sentiments with a subtle nod and a rapid pace back to the dairy aisle. 

Later that same day, a discussion ensues with my mother over the incident. I’m being silly, she says. She claims that there is nothing to be ashamed of, that we belong in this country as much as anyone else, and that no amount of Spanish nor foreign origin would change that. Eventually, I budge and nod my head in defeat. To my peers, I was American, and I would do anything to keep it that way. I felt lucky because my skin color and lack of a foreign accent further embellished this image. If I could somehow transfer the very essence of my nationality, I would do it in a heartbeat. After all, who wouldn’t want to be from the greatest country on Earth? 

 “She can’t see the reality of our situation. She hasn’t grasped what it means to have this”, I thought, “but she will one day.”

I’m in the cafeteria. It’s lunch time. A classmate drops his pretzel, catapulting grains of salt onto the tiled floor. “Do you wanna snort that Colombian cocaine for us, Juan?”, jokes my classmate. I say nothing of the comment, and instead occult my sentiments with a subtle headshake and a rapid pace over to the lunch table. 

I’m a high school freshman. I’ve found an outlet through the less conventional language of music, improvising jazz solos in the little ways I know how. I’ve grown in many ways. I’ve found a passion for the saxophone and an interest in the sciences, though my voice remains as nebulous as my identity and I cry over spilled salt, sometimes milk. 

It’s summertime. I work as a hospital volunteer. I am bringing meals to patients around the hospital. A supervisor is with me. Towards the end of our nutritional rounds, we encounter a man that seems lost. His eyes wander with no final destination, and this lack of resolution troubles him greatly. “You look lost sir. Can I help you get to where you need to go?”, asks the supervisor. “Perdóne señor, I no speak English”, says the man. I quickly jump in, “A donde necesíta ír, señor?”. The expression that graced the man’s face in the moments following my conjecture filled me with a pride and joy I had never felt, much less as a result of using my native language. I was in America, in a healthcare institution, and my native language had allowed me to help someone, in America. I was moved. I was surprised. I was intrigued.   

I’m in my high school band room. I’m putting away my saxophone and other musical equipment. Rehearsal has just ended. As I prepare to leave the room, my band director approaches me with a question. “Juan, I’ve been meaning to tell you, there are two siblings, a twin brother and sister, that are interested in joining the band, but their mom only speaks Spanish and I want to make sure she has all the information she needs before she lets her kids join. Would you mind helping me out with the translation?”. My thoughts return to the man lost in the hospital, that feeling I’d felt, that meaning I’d derived. I wanted that again. So, I spoke with the twins’ mom. She felt immensely relieved that someone could understand what she had to say, and that her kids would be in a band program that accepted and understood them. Again, the sensation appeared, popping its head out of hibernation, as if only dormant before, awaiting the right time to wake. But this time, the sensation persisted. I didn’t want to change myself anymore. I was a first-generation Colombian immigrant whose second language was English, and I was proud of that. This time, the sensation felt permanent. It was real. 

As I look back on this journey of growth and self-discovery, I realize just how much my view of this country has shifted. As a 7 and 14-year-old, America and its famed dream were more than a prospect of a better life that only the land of the free would provide. They meant a visceral assimilation that made one lose ties to any nation that came before. I had decided that I would become American by every definition, and this meant disconnecting from fundamental aspects of my Hispanic origins, from my native language.  For me, English was the best language anyone could speak, superior to Spanish and any other. I saw bilingualism as a weakness, a barrier keeping me from the status I wanted to fully embody. 

I began to approach a change at 16, but it wasn’t until 18 that I fully realized the beauty of my heritage, my people, my motherland, my culture, and my language. During this period, I began participating in outreach efforts for underprivileged Hispanic communities, involved myself in Spanish tutoring programs, and volunteered in events educating the Hispanic population on topics regarding STEM. I’d fallen in love with my origins. I taught my friends about Colombia, helped peers with their Spanish, and even performed traditional salsa dances at a schoolwide culture festival. 

In this development, I found that for me, the American dream is not about assimilating and losing one’s sense of origin, one’s cultural fluency. These are not things to be lost by any immigrant or foreigner that enters these United States. The reality is quite the contrary. To fulfill one’s own American dream, these very factors of individuality and uniqueness must serve as the building blocks for the life and contribution one makes in this country, and in life. Language has taught me this. Only with this thinking, have I been able to live the life I’ve always felt America had in store for me, and more importantly, the life I had in store for myself.  

SACNAS Member Spotlight!

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Name: Dr. Carlos Puentes


Neuroscience PhD  &

Science, Technology, and Policy Certificate

Your favorite things about grad school:

My favorite thing was usually designing new experiments and the excitement that usually came with finding new ways of exploring interesting concepts and unknowns in science.

Your least favorite things about grad school:

Graduate school can be isolating at times and it’s too easy for one to inadvertently feed into that isolation by developing bad habits. I would say that the sense of isolation was my least favorite thing.

Why you got involved in SACNAS?:

I got involved in SACNAS because I was looking for ways to effect change beyond my academic work. During my undergraduate years I was a McNair scholar, an organization with many parallels to SACNAS. McNair was instrumental in me ultimately attending the University of Michigan and I wanted to support an organization that could similarly impact students at Umich.

Your favorite thing about SACNAS and the chapter:

On a social level there was a strong sense of community and it offered me the chance to spend time with many close friends. On a broader level, it was a means of giving back the community and helping students that came from similar backgrounds.

Advice you have for first year grad students:

To start networking early and to diversify your projects. You don’t want to spend years of work on a single project only to hit a significant roadblock. Diversifying your projects creates multiple routes towards completing your dissertation. Networking is just a generally helpful practice that can help you down the line when you’re forming your postgraduate plans.

Advice you have for senior grad students:

To start planning your postgraduate plans as early as possible. You’ll be surprised how early some deadlines are!

Where are you heading next:

I’m headed to California where I’ll be working in a policy position!

Follow Carlos on Linkedin to wish him good luck and to keep up with his exciting future plans!

SACNAS Member Spotlight

Yanaira Alonso_0Program and year:Neuroscience Graduate Program, 5th year

Where are you heading next


Your favorite things about grad school. 


The hardest thing you’ve had to overcome. 


Why you got involved in SACNAS?


 Your favorite thing about SACNAS and the chapter. 


Advice you have for first year grad students.

  3. Take breaks, don’t burn yourself out.

 Advice you have for senior grad students. 


Don’t Let it Set In

April 14, 2017









Author: Marissa Torres

Biological Chemistry

PhD Student


2. Gunshow comics. KC Green.
4. CDC.

Why Hispan-ish?


Author: Marissa Torres



It is so important to have women in science



What is this Assistive Communication Device?


How does it work?






Es muy importante tener mujeres en Ciencia



¿Que es el dispositivo de comunicación asistente?



Entonces procedí con la pregunta más importante, ¿por qué?




Welcome to our SACNAS UMich Chapter blog

Hello friends,




Hola amigos,


