PhD student Yokaira López-Tifa fosters community & conversation.

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Yokaira Lopez-Tifa interviews Samuel Kishi.

Yokaira López-Tifa is a PhD student in children, families, and schools. She is also a member of the Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies (CLACLS) and a graduate assistant for the Center of Racial Justice and Youth Engaged Research (CRJ).

During the Fall 2023 semester, Yokaira was involved in a number of academic and community building events on campus, including:

• Selected to receive a scholarship to attend and present at the prestigious La Cosecha 2023 conference on dual language education. Yokaira is one of only two UMass Amherst students invited to present this year.
• Received an invitation to the exclusive 2023 Dual Language Bilingual Education Researcher Convocation hosted by Dual Language Education of New Mexico in November. This event convenes leaders in bilingual education research.

"I am humbled to be asked to participate as the sole representative of our College," says Yokaira.

• Co-coordinated the First Latinxs Festival on campus this semester. At the festival, Yokaira moderated a Q&A session for the film Los Lobos and led a discussion with Samuel Kishi, the film's director.
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  Yokaira López-Tifa and Francia Marquez, Vice President of Colombia.
  Selected as the sole graduate student from the College of Education to attend a special luncheon with Colombian Vice President Francia Márquez hosted by Chancellor Javier Reyes and CLACLS. 
• Co-facilitated a graduate student social for the Department of Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies (TECS). Yokaira serves as co-chair of the TECS Student Advisory Committee.