Letter of Support for director Elvira Prieto from 2017 Alumna

My time at Stanford would not have been the same without Elvira Prieto. Elvira is an institution at the university: for years, she's created open spaces for building community, encouraged open dialogue, and tirelessly championed students who are part of El Centro, Casa Zapata, and Comunidad at large. When I first met her, I was a nervous freshman, unsure of my own voice, but Elvira saw my potential. She welcomed me to Stanford and Comunidad with open arms, even encouraging me to apply to be a student staffer at El Centro Chicano y Latino, and so I did. I spent the next three years on her staff. The community I joined, the connections I made, and the confidence I gained as part of Elvira's team made my college experience so much more rewarding and so much happier than I ever thought it could be. That's just what Elvira does — she makes Stanford feel a little warmer, a little safer, and a little bit more like home.

Alejandra Salazar, Class of 2017