Carmen Rivera

One of the first things Carmen shares with people is that she is from northern New Mexico and where she is from is fundamental to who she is. She was a first-generation college student and earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Northern Colorado in Spanish and Mexican American Studies with a minor in Communication Studies. She was involved in cultural centers, fraternity and sorority life, student government, and studied abroad. All of these experiences ultimately led her to explore a future in higher education. She started her career as an advisor for Upward Bound, a federal TRiO program, serving first-generation and lower income high school students. She continued working with TRiO and access programs for over 13 years. She also served as the Director of Student Experience at INTO Colorado State University, an LLC partnership between the INTO Corporation and CSU that specializes in training international students English and Pathway programs. While working, she earned both her Master’s degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education and her PhD in Higher Education Leadership at Colorado State University. Currently, she is the Talent Manager for Organizational Development for the Division of Student Affairs at CSU and also is a faculty member for the Student Affairs in Higher Education master’s program. In addition to her roles at CSU, she is a faculty member for the Social Justice Training Institute, a co-lead facilitator for the LeaderShape Institute, and a consultant and speaker in the areas of organizational development, inclusion, social justice, and leadership. She believes that her most important work is raising her two awesome sons. She loves 90’s R&B, has an insatiable thirst for travel, is always up for a good laugh, and is obsessed with all things Frida Kahlo.