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Leadership

Bolívar Network Leadership 2023-2024

Claudia Quintero, Board Chair

Claudia Quintero graduated from the University of Virginia in May of 2011. Claudia co-founded Seek Common Ground, an organization that supports education advocates across the country as they work to improve student outcomes in their local contexts through Action Accelerators. She creates spaces for shared learning and connection across Action Accelerators, which are based on design thinking principles to test promising ideas and learn from conducting efforts in short-term project cycles. She served a similar role at Achieve, an education non-profit dedicated to ensuring all students graduate ready for college, career, and citizenship. There, Claudia served as a Senior Associate and managed the Coalition Support Network consisting of over a dozen state-based education advocacy coalitions nationwide. Prior to that role, Claudia helped manage a network of Latin American business leaders heading multi-national corporations at the Group of Fifty. She earned a Master’s in Public Administration from The George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia.

Alex Cintron, Secretary

Alex Cintron graduated from the University of Virginia in May of 2019 with a B.A. in History and Government. He spent his time at the University heavily involved in extracurricular activities, including co-founding the Latinx Leadership Institute (LLI) and being elected as the first Latinx Student Council President in 2018. He currently resides in Richmond, Virginia, where he works for the Virginia State Government and is active in state and local politics.

Jason Puryear, Vice-Chair for Admissions

Jason Puryear graduated from the University of Virginia in August of 2009 with a B.A. in History.  He was actively engaged during his time on Grounds as an Hermano of the Alpha Epsilon Chapter of La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc., a founding brother of the Men’s Leadership Project, a mentor for the Peer Mentoring Program, a volunteer with the Latino Student Admissions Committee, and in many leadership roles within the Multicultural Greek Council. He’s a proud first-generation, AccessUVA college graduate who currently works with high school students to prepare them for postsecondary education through the Upward Bound Programs at Virginia Tech.  Upward Bound is a 100% federally-funded TRIO Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education that provides fundamental support to participants in their preparation for college entrance.  He’s excited about the opportunity to lead the Admissions Committee this year!

Patrick Martinez, Admissions Committee

Patrick graduated from UVA in 2008 with a double-major in African American & African Studies and Latin American Studies. As a first-generation college graduate, UVA was a life changing experience. He learned French and Portuguese, did a summer study abroad in Salvador, Brazil, and hosted the visit of Salvadoran Supreme Court Justice Mirna Perla. Outside the classroom, he was involved in the Minority Rights Coalition, Alianza council of Latinx student leaders, La Casa Bolívar, and was a student member on the President’s Committee on Equal Opportunity & Affirmative Action. He is an Hermano of Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity and lived in 33 West Lawn his fourth year.

After UVA, Patrick worked in Congress as a Public Policy Fellow. After a year in DC, he moved to New York City for graduate school at Columbia University, where he received a Master of Public Administration and another Master’s in Higher Education. He worked in the admissions office at Columbia for over 8 years, managing the international dual degree programs between Columbia and Sciences Po Paris, Trinity College Dublin, and Tel Aviv University. He is now the Associate Director of College Counseling at the United Nations International School.

Danny Navarro, Admissions Committee

Danny Navarro has been working in the civic engagement space for ten years. A native of Miami, FL, Danny began his career in several political campaigns in the region. He was instrumental in winning Florida for President Obama in 2012, orchestrating the largest voter turnout the county had seen to date. He made his move to D.C. in 2014 where he has worked with Voto Latino, State Voices, Feeding America, and other nonprofit foundations. He is currently coaching youth soccer with Vienna Youth Soccer Academy & expanding his soccer travel social media account, TravelFutbolFan. He received his bachelor’s in History from the University of Virginia and his master’s from George Mason University.

Claudia Bonilla, Vice-Chair for Alumni Community Engagement

Claudia Bonilla graduated from the University of Virginia in May of 2017 with a B.A. in American Politics and Spanish Literature and Culture. Her past involvements at UVA included being part of the Latinx Student Alliance, the Peer Mentoring Program, and La Casa Bolívar. She currently resides outside of Washington, D.C., where she works for the National Governors Association on state policy issues of postsecondary education and human services. Claudia is passionate about serving the Latinx community and is excited to work on alumni community engagement.

Claudia Castañeda, Alumni Community Engagement

Claudia Castañeda graduated in 2017 from the University of Virginia with a double major in Foreign Affairs and Spanish Literature and Culture. At UVA, she participated in the Latinx Student Alliance as a Community Outreach Chair, as a mentor in the Peer Mentoring Program, as a volunteer for Southwood and Sin Barreras, and lived at La Casa Bolívar. After her time at UVA, she volunteered with AmeriCorps and Peace Corps and in 2023, she finished a master’s in International Economics and Latin American Studies at Johns Hopkins SAIS. Currently, she works in the Education, Tech, and Gender space. She is transitioning from living abroad to a role with Girls Who Code in New York.

Karla Aguayo, Vice-Chair for Alumni Community Engagement

Gina M. Flores Stumpf, Vice-Chair for Fundraising & Development

Gina M. Flores Stumpf graduated from the University of Virginia in 2000. In 1997, she was a founding student member of the Bolívar Network. She lived three years at La Casa Bolívar and held various roles with Latino student groups.  She received the Young Alumni Service Award in 2010 for her service on the Bolívar Network and now co-leads fundraising for its scholarships. Gina manages fundraising and business partnerships at SkillsUSA. Prior to SkillsUSA, she led fundraising for The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars and the Smithsonian Latino Center as well as managed corporate relations at UnidosUS (formerly the National Council of La Raza). Gina received her M.B.A. in nonprofit management and marketing from Yale and her B.A. in Spanish Literature and Commerce from the University of Virginia. Of Mexican and Colombian descent, Gina spent her early childhood in the Panama Canal Zone and currently lives in Tysons.

Alejandro Nava Moncada, Vice-Chair for Professional Development

Sean White, Vice-Chair for Scholarship & Awards

Sean White graduated from the University of Virginia College of Arts and Sciences in May 2004, majoring in Environmental Science and minoring in Anthropology. Spending most of his time on campus in the newly-expanded Clark Hall, he assisted faculty and graduate students investigating soil and water interactions. In addition to performing funded laboratory research into nitrate cycle chemistry, he attended meetings of the Bolívar network and was impressed by the dedication to academic success.

Bringing his University research experience to the private sector, he performed environmental remediation studies throughout Virginia for construction and engineering firms. Since earning a Juris Doctor in 2011, he has been involved in developing energy and land use regulations across multiple state government roles. Of Mexican descent, he looks forward to seeing the ongoing educational success of the network’s scholarship recipients.

Mica Vilanova, Vice-Chair for Social Media & Communications

Mica Vilanova was an international student from Buenos Aires, Argentina, who graduated from the University of Virginia in May of 2022 with a B.A. in Media Studies and a minor in Leadership from McIntire School of Commerce. Her past involvements include the former Latinx Student Alliance now known as COLA, a mentor in the Peer Mentoring Program (PMP) for Hispanic and Latinx Students, Producer for Poder Latino (a student radio where she got to interview community members and broadcast your favorite Latin tunes), a volunteer for different Sin Barreras initiatives, a Meriwether Lewis Fellow, and a former Lawnie (Go room 44!). She currently resides in Washington, D.C, where she works as an Associate for Ogilvy.

Mica is looking forward to supporting The Bolivar Network by strengthening their reach and developing the network’s presence, and to capture and share with our community key events and memories.

Miguel Bacigalupe, Graduate Student Engagement Committee

Kaitlyn Diaz, Undergraduate Student Groups

Kaitlyn Diaz graduated from the University of Virginia in May of 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Education – Youth and Social Innovation, and a minor in Anthropology. Her past involvements at UVA included being an Orientation Leader, Career Peer Educator at the UVA Career Center, Hermana of Sigma Lambda Upsilon/Señoritas Latinas Unidas Sorority, Inc., Liaison for the Leadership, Advancement, and Development of our Young Sisters (LADYS) Mentorship Program based in Charlottesville, Resident Advisor at the International Residential College, a Mentor through the Hispanic/Latinx Peer Mentoring Program (PMP), and a Meriwether Lewis Fellow. Kaitlyn is currently a Program Coordinator at TGR Foundation where she supports high school and college students to achieve their post-secondary dreams and empowers students to succeed in college through the Earl Woods Scholar Program. Kaitlyn is excited to be a part of the Bolívar Network board and hopes to provide guidance, mentorship, and support to undergraduate students, while strengthening the connection between the UVA Latinx alumni and Latinx undergraduate communities.