(Published February 17, 2020)
Liliana Salas was born in Michoacan Mexico and spent most of her childhood between Michoacan and Nayarit. At the age of ten she and her family immigrated to the United States in pursuit of the American Dream. They settled in Holland, MI where they worked as migrant and seasonal farmworkers in a nursery and green house. Liliana was fortunate to enter the school system instead of working in the fields. She learned English in less than a year to help her family communicate. From then on, she spent her time in Michigan, Tennessee, and Mexico as she migrated with her family. She also spent most of her summers picking blueberries as a teenager.
Lily enrolled in many school systems and despite her good grades, she ran the risk of not graduating on time because of the constant mobility of her family. Thanks to Hope College TRIO Upward Bound, she was able to excel in high school, graduate on time, and enter college. Lily attended Michigan State University where she also received the support of the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP), a grant program funded by the Department of Education Office of Migrant Educaction. Through hard work, support, resilience, and determination she earned a bachelor of arts in psychology with high honors and an MSW from Michigan State University. She also earned a graduate certificate in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Western Michigan University where she is currently a first-year doctoral student in the Higher Education Leadership program.
Lily is an educator who strongly believes in the power of higher education. She has led the Western Michigan University College Assistance Migrant Program (WMU CAMP) for the past three years. She is also a First Year Experience instructor at WMU for incoming CAMP students. Prior to coming to WMU she spent a few years as a college counselor for a public, high-functioning charter school in South Texas where she worked with high school students and families through the college application and enrollment process. Liliana also worked at Michigan State University for several years. Her expertise lies in college access for underrepresented students as well as in migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their experiences in higher education. Lily is also a founding member and executive board officer of ELLAS, a local Latina leadership organization.
Outside of school and her profession, Lily loves spending time with her two children and husband. She is extremely thankful for the sacrifices her parents and older siblings have made as well as for the ongoing support and encouragement from her husband.
FUN FACT: Lily didn’t get her driver’s license until the age of 21, right around the same time that she became a citizen.
Comments