Meet Our
board members
Gerardo Ochoa
President
Gerardo Ochoa is a first-generation college graduate and Latinx immigrant, who has dedicated his career to promoting college affordability, access, and graduation. He believes in the power of personal stories to build empathy, create opportunities, and influence change. He is MENTE's president and co-founder and is committed to addressing gender inequities in higher education. He is director of community relations and special assistant to the president at Linfield College.
Efraín Rivas-Flores
Vice President
Efraín Rivas- Flores is a proud immigrant, a first-generation college student, and the son of farm working parents. Efraín and his family immigrated to the U.S. at age fourteen and is the only one out of six siblings who graduated from high school. Upon graduating high school at the age of 20, Efraín attended Treasure Valley Community College and transferred to Boise State University, where he received his degree in Bilingual Education and later completed his Master's Degree in Education from New Mexico State University.
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Currently, Efraín directs the TRIO Talent Search Program at Portland Community College and is MENTE's vice-president and cofounder. He is working towards completing his Educational Leadership Doctoral Program at Portland State University. His personal experiences have empowered him to become an educator and fight the many educational inequities that continue to affect first-generation, limited income, and underrepresented students.
Greg Contreras
Secretary
I'm from a proud migrant farm working family. Raised in Eastern Oregon, I worked in the fields alongside my family. As a first generation college student, I graduated from Treasure Valley Community College and Oregon State University. The Gates Millennium Scholarship helped me achieve a Master's Degree in Counselor Education. I work as Director of the College Assistance Migrant Program at PCC Rock Creek, helping migrant students achieve a college education. I am proud to serve in the advancement of MENTE to empower more Latinos to understand their potential and accomplish their dreams.
Carlos Sánchez
Treasurer
Carlos Sánchez Huizar is the proud son of immigrant parents, a first-generation Mexico-Americano, and passionate about community engagement. Although Sánchez Huizar claims South Central Los Angeles and Korea town as home, he also considers La Labor de Santa Barbara, a small rural town in the state of Zacatecas, Mexico, as the motherland. At 21 years of age, Sánchez Huizar experienced different cultures while living in Mexico, the USA, Chile, and Spain.Sánchez Huizar attended Manual Arts High School and with the help of his high school counselor and teachers, One Voice Scholars, USC Upward Bound Math and Science program, and the Gates Millennium Scholarship, he went on to pursue a post-secondary education at Lewis & Clark College. In 2018, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Hispanic and Latin American studies. In 2020, he earned a Master of Arts in Student Affairs Administration from Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling.Sánchez Huizar believes the MENTE is the definition of community organizing. He joined the MENTE team because of the efforts and the commitment to empower Latinx males through leadership, identity development, education, and economic advancement.
David Trujillo-Bedolla
Student Trustee
David Trujillo-Bedolla is a first-generation college student at Portland State University studying Political Science and minoring in Law and Legal studies. He is the son of Latinx Immigrants and is motivated by his Mexican background to serve and assist the needs and concerns of his community. Raised in the Portland Metro area, David has witnessed the lack of assistance for BIPOC students to succeed academically and professionally. With that in mind, he has worked in TRIO guiding and mentoring under-served students to help them achieve their goals. Currently, David is the lead mentor for GANAS, a scholarship mentor support program at PSU designed to help first-gen Latinx students navigate university life. Alongside this, he works with Hacienda CDC a Latino community development corporation that provides affordable housing, economic advancement, and educational opportunities.
When he's not working, David is a boxing enthusiast, woodworking fanatic, loves to play "Ese Nintendo," and chill with compañeros. He is proud to be working with MENTE as the Student Trustee, and is always looking to help the community.
Meet Our Team
