Admin & Coordinators
Admin & Coordinators handle the logistics and execution of the conference. Coordinators work behind the scenes to make the conference come to fruition, year after year.
Abigail A. Marroquin
[She/Her/Ella]
Conference Director
Participated: 2011
Antonio Arguelles
[He/Him]
Program Coordinator
Participated: 2011
Abigail was born in Santa Ana, CA. She is the daughter of immigrants parents who came to the U.S. from Sinaloa and Guerrero, Mexico. She participate in the LYLC in 2011 and has held multiple positions in the LYLA Executive board, LYLC peer staff & LYLC Admin/Coordinator. She has a passion for giving back to her a community and helping other figure out what they would like to accomplish in life. She is currently attend CSN as a business major. She is a collector of journals, mugs & stories. She enjoys traveling and is always up for a spontaneous adventures.
Tony attended the LYLC in 2011 and was a lead team member and facilitator from 2012 to 2015. He also was on the LYLA executive board for three years following his participation in the conference. He went to CSN for an associates degree in criminal justice and has just started at NSC to go for a bachelor's degree in Psychology. He is planning on becoming a therapist. He currently works at CSN as the Media Specialist, which covers all the classroom equipment as well as working the events that CSN has and hosts. In his spare time, he likes to play video games, read and write. Tony also has a 4-year-old son.
Jazmin Anahi Lopez
[She/Her/Ella]
Logistics Coordinator
Participated: 2017
Jazmin was born and raised here in Las Vegas but has roots planted in Durango where her parents are from. She participated in LYLC in 2017 as Purple Familia, where she gained a passion for our organization and returned for two more years as a peer facilitator. Jazmin is also a first-generation graduate who earned her Bachelors in Nursing from UNLV and is now practicing as a Registered Nurse. This was definitely her calling and she hopes to serve her Latinx community through more education in medicine in the future. When Jazmin isn’t in scrubs working the hospital hallways, she will most likely be either listening to Banda, going on adventures to try new food/experiences, or perfecting her role as the “young, cool” aunt.
Yaritza Ileana Morales
[She/Her/Ella]
Lead Recruiter & Data Coordinator
Participated: 2013
Lin Martinez
[She/Her/Ella]
Logistics Coordinator
Participated: 2015
Anel Rojas
[She/Her/Ella]
Logistics Coordinator
Participated: 2003
Yari had the privilege of being born into an enormous Guatemalan family and was happily raised in between Las Vegas and Guatemala. She is a first-generation University graduate having earned two Bachelor of Arts degrees in English and Spanish Language and Literature from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She participated in the LYLC as a member of the Grey familia back in 2013 and has served in many roles since including LYLA Executive Board, LYLC Peer Facilitator, and LYLC Admin/Coordinator. Yari has a passion for education, spontaneous travel plans, and being the author of her own story.
Lin is a first generation college graduate who obtained her Bachelor in Political Science and a minor in Criminal Justice from UNLV. Her mother migrated to the U.S from Mexico and worked hard to instill the importance of education at an early age. Lin participated in the Latino Youth Leadership Conference in 2015, as a facilitator in 2017, and has been co-lead recruiter since 2020. Currently, she works at the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada and is pursuing her Masters in Public Administration and Public Policy from American University. Lin’s passions include: Trying new ice cream places with her daughter, Star Wars, traveling, and her community.
Anel Rojas attended the Latino Youth Leadership Conference in 2003. She served as an LYLC peer facilitator and as part of the LYLA Executive Board following her participation in the conference. She is a first-generation college graduate who earned her Masters of Education from UNLV and is currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program in Higher Education. Anel currently works for the Center for Research, Evaluation, and Assessment (CREA) at UNLV as a research assistant. Her research interests include culturally relevant practices in Hispanic Serving Institutions and support programs for underrepresented students. Anel has been a resident of Las Vegas for over 20 years and has two daughters, ages 7 and 11. In her free time. Anel enjoys traveling with her family, baking, and all things Star Wars.
Bryan Agustín Bañuelos Jacobo
[He/Him/El]
Leadership Development Coordinator
Participated: 2018
Bryan was born in a little town in Sonora México called Magdalena de Kino. That’s where he grew up until 6th grade when he and his mother and sister came to live in Las Vegas NV. His mother is from Tepic, Nayarit. He is a proud immigrant. Bryan did LYLC in 2018 and was part of the white Familia and has been a part of LYLC ever since. He appreciates LYLC for giving him a community where his story is heard and where he can develop friendships with people like him.
Iliana Diaz
[She/Her/Ella]
Leadership Development Coordinator
Participated: 2014
Iliana was born and raised in East Las Vegas to Mexican immigrant parents. She has the privilege of calling the University of Nevada, Las Vegas her alma mater where she obtained a Bachelor’s in Romance Languages. Iliana participated in LYLC in 2014 and came back as a peer facilitator for four more years. Community organizing is her passion and is fortunate to work side by side with community members as a Promotora de salud. When Iliana isn’t connecting the community to resources, she enjoys roller skating, sewing, and playing with her dog, Miklo.
Norma Ramirez PhD
[She/Her/Ella]
Mental Health Advisor
Participated: 2008
Norma Ramirez, PhD obtained her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary, Graduate School of Psychology. Additionally, as an activist and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient, Norma is distinguished in her national efforts to fight for the lives and dignity of those with DACA status. In 2017 Norma participated in filing the lawsuit against the Trump Administration for illegally rescinding DACA. In 2019, the case was addressed by the Supreme Court and in 2020, the efforts to discontinue DACA were deemed unconstitutional, providing ongoing protection for the 700,000+ individuals who rely on DACA.
In her clinical work and research, Norma focuses on the impact of immigration among Latinx families. Norma has provided therapeutic and assessment services in English and Spanish for low income Latinx families, which frequently includes families with mixed legal statuses. Her dissertation research focused on identifying the processes associated with precarious parental legal status and psychological distress in Latinx U.S citizen children.
Norma Ramirez uses her clinical expertise in her social justice efforts to advocate for the undocumented community. Norma has aimed to increase accessibility by collaborating on the creation of specialized mental health resources for individuals with precarious legal status, providing targeted outreach events in her community, and facilitating trainings for mental health professionals who seek to better serve individuals with undocumented/DACA status.