Melinda Salinas (31) is pursuing a bachelor’s in human relations at Trinity Washington University. She expects to graduate in May 2022.
The daughter of Salvadorean immigrants, Melinda was born and raised by her mother in a multicultural neighborhood in Washington DC. As a native Spanish speaker, she began learning English only when she entered the public-school system. Her rapid language assimilation made her the spokesperson for her family and community at an early age. This experience taught her how to navigate between two languages and cultural norms.
Responding to the guidance of high school teachers and mentors, she began to change her perception as a “troubled” youth with a high truancy record and began helping to organize community activities for other “troubled” youth. During this time, she also assisted in the creation of a Latino Youth Summit, which became a vehicle for youth voices to be heard and their concerns represented.
Melinda first began working with the DC Mayor’s Office for Latino Affairs as a volunteer and later became a staff member. She advocated to remove language and other barriers that deterred linguistically minoritized community members from accessing vital public resources. She also co-founded an organization, Youth Organizing for Change and Opportunity, and contributed to the development of a program for high-school youth to help them pursue higher education goals, acquire financial literacy, and engage in a community with social justice as one of its pillars. She is now employed as a Program Analyst/Language Access Coordinator in the DC Government, striving to level the playing field for DC residents with language barriers and other disadvantages obtain employment and educational opportunities.
Melinda began studying towards her bachelor’s degree at Montgomery College, where she completed the general education courses. She transferred those credits to Trinity Washington University, where she maintains an outstanding GPA while balancing a full-time job and financial responsibility for her household. Confronted with the risk of needing to leave their current building because of potential real estate development, Melinda became the president of her tenants’ association to ensure that the tenants have a voice in the negotiations with the building owner.
Melinda is recognized for her capacity to lead and her commitment to bettering future life opportunities for women and children. Melinda will be the first member of her immediate family to earn a university degree. When speaking about her future plans, Melinda is clear that she sees herself continuing to serve her community and further developing her role in public policy and advocacy, whether it be with an NGO or a governmental organization.
Melinda intends to follow a career that enables her to pursue her passion for social justice and inclusion, largely propelled by her drive to improve the lives of those whose voices traditionally may not have been heard. Receiving the MMEG grant is a testimony to her resilience and overall ability to overcome numerous challenges, her outstanding academic performance, and her proven leadership abilities.
