Sheyla Nadir Tupua

Bilingual (Spanish/English) leader with 7+ years and proven track record of effective leadership, strategic planning, budget management, and data analysis. I have successfully built and managed relationships with key stakeholders in both public and private sectors. Previously, at the City of San Jose, I partnered with community-based organizations to address learning loss among K-12 students and advocated for increased childcare access in high poverty neighborhoods. My work led to the successful launch of SJ Aspires, a higher education access and equity program that impacted over 400 first-generation college students. My leadership style is a mix of effective and compassionate communication, relationship building, collaboration, strategy and a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

My advice to students is...

As a first-generation student, there were many unknowns for me, from defining a major, selecting one, and commiting to it. I think our experiences as first-generation students and future graduates is a lot like like, there are so many things that will be unknown and a plan is only a guide to get you to your goals. Still, what I found helpful through those experiences was my community of friends and family, my values, and desire to meet my goals. Don't loose sight of your goals even if you don't know how to get there, anchor yourself in the things that matter the most to you to find the strength or motivation that you may lack some of the days through your journey.