Unlocking Doors Board Members
From left to right: Leslie Chang, Lupita Garcia-Reilley, Nestor Camargo and Luis Muniz

Lupita Garcia-Reilley
Executive Director and Founder
Lupita@unlockingdoors.org

I grew up in a working class family where the importance of an education was deeply instilled.  My parents immigrated to the Land of Opportunity with limited education and with all of their ten kids in hopes that the United States would provide the endless opportunities and possibilities for social advancement that Mexico could not provide.  As the youngest of ten, I watched my parents work multiple minimum wage jobs and saw my older siblings contribute their savings to provide for our family’s basic needs. 

My parents believed that the United States offered unlimited doors of opportunity and that higher education was the key to unlocking those doors.  We kept our dreams alive with hard work, perseverance, and with the generous help of scholarships, we have graduated with BA’s, MA’s and PhD’s from top universities such as Cornell, Cal Tech, USC, and I myself graduated from Stanford in 2003; we are now architects, engineers, academics, and social entrepreneurs. 

Being first generation to attend and graduate from college, I feel very grateful to have had such amazing opportunities come my way; not only did I receive a BA in Latin American Studies and an MA in Sociology from Stanford, but I’ve had the rare opportunity to work for the CIA, been invited to join the FBI, and am now currently working for a leading global consulting firm. 

Although I have been very blessed to rise above the poverty level, many low-income families still struggle to make a living in the high priced San Francisco Bay Area.  We live in a soci-economically segregated society where the family one is born into plays a major role in determining our opportunities and life chances.  Unfortunately, the low-income class has become an invisible part of our society who struggle each day to provide for the family's basic needs all the while holding onto the dream of unlimited opportunities for educational, social and economic advancement.    

A college education matters more now than ever in shaping one's future and chances of achieving the American Dream.  The nation's top universities have acknowledged this severe social problem that Harvard, Princeton, Yale and Stanford are all offering free tuition for students from low-income families.  I hope you will join me in fighting for the ideals this country was found upon.  The grants from Unlocking Doors will re-instill the belief of a meritocracy - the foundation and core of America - the notion that one can have a dream, pursue it, and achieve it.   

Let's join forces in helping make dreams come true!

Leslie Chang
Vice President
Leslie@unlockingdoors.org

Leslie Chang grew up in Northern California and now works for a leading global consulting firm in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Leslie graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a Bachelor of Science in Management Science, a minor in Public Service, and a University Certificate in Business. 

Encouraged by a family of professors and teachers, Leslie has been motivated by each family member’s dedication to providing opportunities for students to learn and reach their goals. While attending college in San Diego, Leslie taught at a charter school established for students to become the first generation to attend college. Working alongside individuals uninhibited by the many obstacles thrown in their paths, inspired Leslie to make her own difference in the community.

Leslie’s dedication to service in the community stems from the eight years she has been volunteering with Rotary International. With Rotary, she has made multiple trips to Mexico building playgrounds, fixing up schools, and delivering food to hungry individuals. Her volunteer work has spanned many communities and includes working with bilingual, varying socioeconomic levels, and individuals of all different ages. 

With Unlocking Doors: A Scholarship for Women, Leslie strives to help open the same doors of opportunity that she has been fortunate to enter.

Luis Muniz studied in the University of Puerto Rico, where he majored in Mechanical Engineering and minored in Psychology. He is currently working as a Business Consultant in northern California for the Financial Services branch of Accenture, LLP. Ever since he was young he has been motivated to do volunteer work in different places around the globe, some of which include delivering Christmas presents in the Philippines, assisting in building a school in Nepal and helping earthquake survivors in Central America. In his pursuit of local community service opportunities, Luis has teamed up with Unlocking Doors because he was also the first in his family to attend college and because this opportunity resonates within him.

Nestor Camargo was born in Bogota, Colombia and migrated by himself to the US at the age of 17 looking for an opportunity to pursue a college degree.  Ten years after arriving he graduated from CalPoly Pomona with a Mechanical Engineering degree. Nestor currently works for Accenture as a Senior Consultant in the Financial Services group.  

Nestor is passionate about creating educational opportunities for under represented children. During college, Nestor was an active member of MEP (Maximizing Engineering Potential), which supports minority students throughout their undergraduate educational career. After college, he started an after school tutoring group at a high school in a marginal community of Los Angeles. He also volunteers for other programs such as Read To Kids and KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) during his spare time. 

Recognizing that education has changed Nestor’s life, he decided to help financially two other family members accomplish their goal of graduating from college;  now there are three members on his family, including him, with college degrees.  He wants to expand his passion for education to other people so he joined Unlocking Doors: A Scholarship for women.