Vanessa Vera

Vanessa (she/ella) is a first-generation graduate student in the Master’s in Leadership program, with a focus on Student Affairs in Higher Education (SAHE) at UCCS. She is currently working in two roles as a Conduct Education and Outreach Graduate Assistant in the Office of the Dean of Students at UCCS and as a Part-Time Academic Advisor at Pikes Peak State College. Vanessa is also involved with a research assistantship within the Department of Leadership, Research, and Foundations. She is originally from Surprise, Arizona, where she was raised and went on to attend Northern Arizona University for a bachelor's degree in Psychology. She moved to Colorado in 2023 to begin the SAHE program and has had the opportunity to work with both community college and university students during her time in CO. Vanessa is committed to enhancing and advocating for student support across all student populations, although she holds a passion for supporting first-generation, peer-mentoring, and First Year Experience programs.