Mariana Meza

Class of 2026

Pursuing Program II: "Theorizing and Practicing Social Change in the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands"

I’m a junior pursuing a self-designed Program II focused on Theorizing and Practicing Social Change in the U.S. Mexico Borderlands. As a proud fronteriza from El Paso, Texas, I am passionate about immigration and border justice. On campus, I serve as the President of Mi Gente, Duke’s largest Latinx student organization, and I am a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow, conducting research on community-rooted advocacy that centers the agency of immigrant populations.

I currently work as a Service-Learning Assistant for PUBPOL 213: Arts Policy, Leadership, and Engagement with Professor Andrew Nurkin. My commitment to community-engaged coursework began with the Hart Leadership SOL Program and courses like PUBPOL 590: Lead the Way, Durham. These experiences have deepened my belief that the city is the classroom, the city is the teacher, and Durham’s community holds invaluable lessons for the Duke student body.

Outside of academics, I love art, storytelling, community organizing, gardening, and exploring Durham.