Celebrating Latinx Heritage Month with … Vynessa Ortiz

Whenever our College Scholars walk through the door (or even in a Zoom room), they know they’ve come into their second home -- and that’s because Vynessa Ortiz, Director of College Access and Success -- sets the stage. Motivated by her experience as a first generation college student, Ortiz has spent the last 11 years working to expand college opportunities for underrepresented students across the country -- and brings “that Tía energy” every time.

 Ortiz joined EHTP after supporting over 400 students a year at Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA), helping them succeed at the nation’s top colleges and universities, and was founding Director of the Retention through Academic Mentoring Program at Humboldt State University, where she earned her B.A. in Political Science and Ethnic Studies. A Los Angeles native, Ortiz received her M.S. in Higher Education from the Pennsylvania State University. She is a member of the Chippewa-Cree tribe of Rocky Boy, Montana. 

What does Latinx Heritage Month mean to you? Latinx Heritage Month is a chance to celebrate our cultural identities, our histories, and our contributions here in the United States. It is an annual milestone that marks our continued resilience and resistance to erasure.  

Why is this so important? Latinx communities have had a complicated relationship with the United States, and how U.S. foreign policy has created circumstances that forced the need for migration. People chased the American Dream here but so many fled the nightmare America created in their countries of origin. The U.S. has been both a safe and dangerous place for Latinx people, especially those of Black and/or Indigenous racial identity. 

 My own family was brought to the United States by the agricultural industry with promises that were left unfulfilled. Some of my family was in California before it became part of the United States. They have been here to see and experience the zoot suit riots, Mendez v. Westminster, red lining, abuses against farmworkers, ICE raids, and more. After generations of chasing a dream always out of reach, my family and my community continue to hold on to their cultural identities, their histories, and their love for one another. 

What is it about East Harlem Tutorial Program that spoke to you? While I am not from East Harlem, it still has a special place in my heart and reminds me of home. I grew up in Wilmington, a barrio of Los Angeles, and a community very similar to East Harlem. I joined EHTP because I wanted to work in a community that felt like home. I joined EHTP because I know just how hard it can be for young people to pursue their dreams without the encouragement and support of adults who care. I joined EHTP because I wanted to work with folks who care just as much as I do. 

What's Your Why? I work with young people to get to and through college and find their voices as leaders in the East Harlem community. 

How does your identity shape your work? I see our students as an extension of my own family and community. I understand with urgency how this work directly impacts entire families, entire neighborhoods, entire historical trajectories. Students often tell me I remind them of one of their aunts, so I bring that Tía energy to program everyday.