LSA is managed by an executive board composed of undergraduate students at USC. These student
leadership positions give the board members experience in holding meetings, managing a budget,
developing effective planning strategies, creating purposeful programs and coordinating events.
Steven Almazan
Executive Director
Year: Junior (Class of 2013)
Major(s): Psychology/Communication
Fun Fact: When I run, I have to run at least 3 miles or my mind goes crazy. I’m also obsessed with Google. It’s a problem. An awesome problem.
Plans after college: Hopefully I will participate in Teach for America for two years and then attend an Ivy League law school.
Other involvements: Campus Campaign Coordinator for Teach For America, Latino Business Student Association (LBSA), Student Mentor for Joint Educational Program, Volunteer and Student Representative for Visions and Voices, Intern for www.lakersnation.com
Rudy Sarmiento
Assistant Director
Year: Junior (Class of 2013)
Major(s): Political Science
Fun Fact: I’ve canoed the Maquoketa River located in the fine state of Iowa.
Plans after college: Option 1 – Go straight to law school; Option 2 – Take a year off, work, study/prepare for the LSAT and begin law school the following year; Option 3 – Travel Central and South America
Other involvements: Delta Omicron Zeta Leadership Fraternity, Research assistant, student worker at Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC
Kimberly Galdamez
Secretary
Year: Junior (Class of 2013)
Major(s): Music Industry
Fun Fact: I asked my parents for a white drumset instead of having a quinceañera party.
Plans after college: Upon graduation I will travel to my dream destinations Germany and Brazil. I plan to live there a few months with the intention of learning more about their culture, learning their language, attending music festivals and making connections in the music business. Depending on the health of the music business I may or may not attend Graduate school. Eventually I would like to open my own concert venue and start my own record company. But the possibilities are endless.
Other Involvements: Music Industry Connection, USC Women’s Club Volleyball, Latino Business Student Association, Ronald Tutor Campus Center Associate, Starving Musician’s Program, Hellfire Management, Nuclear Blast Records USA.
Michael Cuellar
Historian
Year: Junior (Class of 2013)
Major(s): Business Administration
Fun Fact: I’ve been around USC my entire life, so it’s a dream come true for me to be able to attend the University.
Plans after college: Plan to work for a couple of years and then go back to graduate school.
Other involvements: Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity Inc (LUL), Troy Camp, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Latino Business Student Association (LBSA), USC Men’s Club Volleyball Team, Student Supervisor for USC’s Computer Labs
Cynthia Balderas
Public Relations Co-Director
Year: Junior (Class of 2013)
Major(s): Public Relations
Minor(s): Spanish/Communication and the Entertainment Industry/ Concentration in Broadcast & Digital Journalism
Fun Fact: I’m terrified of porcelain dolls and life-like puppets (i.e., dummies) ever since I watched “Dolls” before I was five.
Plans after college: I want to travel through Europe and South America and somehow road trip across the United States. I then want to work a few years or so in New York in corporate communications and attend Columbia University for grad school.
Other Involvements: Intern at Columbia Pictures, Multimedia Student Assistant at USC Stevens Institute for Innovation, Annenberg TV News (ATVN), Ladies Striving for Unity, Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), OnTheRedCarpet.com and Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Antares Vargas
Public Relations Co-Director
Year: Sophomore (Class of 2014)
Major(s): Business with a marketing & entrepreneurship concentration
Minor(s): Spanish/Film
Fun Fact: I’ve lived in 4 different cities. I like volunteering at music festivals and talking to strangers.
Plans after college: I plan to work for the entertainment industry for a few years and buy a Porsche and a condominium in Las Vegas, Nevada. After a few years of working I want to get my masters at NYU for business and film. At age 45 I want to retire, have my own business, and travel the world. After traveling I want to write screenplays and put together documentaries. Before dying I want to open a gallery with a collection of all art, pictures, videos, and collections of my life travels/experiences.
Other Involvements: LBSA (External Affairs), SLG (Marketing VP), Visions and Voices Volunteer, Troy Camp (Camp Counselor)
Trinidad (Trini) Rios
Cultural Affairs Director
Year: Junior (Class of 2013)
Major(s):Communication/American Studies and Ethnicity
Fun Fact: I’m obsessed with maps of Los Angeles.
Plans after college: I’ll do something that makes me happy.
Other involvements: Ladies Striving for Unity (LSU), Student Worker at Annenberg School, McNair Scholars Program, USC Latino Alumni Association, USC Annenberg Center for Communication Leadership & Policy
Juan Alberto Espinoza
Political Affairs Director
Year: Senior (Class of 2012)
Major(s): Communication/International Relations
Minor(s): Spanish
Fun Fact: I once tricked my grandma in Mexico into thinking that the tickle-me-Elmo we had would shake because it was possessed by the devil –causing her to throw it half way across the house 
Plans after college: I’d like to do Full Bright in Mexico studying the war on drugs, and then kill it in Law School.
Other involvements: Director of Speakers Committee for Program Board, Student intern for USC Dornsife Advising Office, Chicanos for Progressive Education (CPE), Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity Inc., Delta Omicron Zeta Leadership Fraternity, and Intern for Mun2 (holamun2.com)
Jessica Guevara
Social Affairs Director
Year: Junior (Class of 2013)
Major(s): Policy, Planning and Development/Spanish
Random fact: I love to recreate photos into large paintings.
Plans after college:I would love to travel for a year after college to various parts of the world or participate in the Teach for America Program.
Other Involvements: Omega Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated, Phi Chapter, Delta Omicron Zeta Leadership Fraternity, Intern for California School Based Health Centers Association as a Youth Board Member, and Art of Stepping: California Unity Step Team Chapter.
Valerie Fernandez
Professional Development Director
Year: Sophomore (Class of 2014)
Major(s): Business Administration
Fun Fact: I’m obsessed with food, music, and the beach!
Plans after college: I’d like to combine my passions for art, music, physical fitness, food, and the betterment of the masses, while traveling the world all in one epic career.
Other involvements: Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority Inc. (Historian and VP of Marketing), Latino Business Student Association (Social Chair) student worker at USC Health Science Campus
Alberto Ortega
Community Service Director
Year: Senior (Class of 2012)
Major(s): Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Studies / Spanish
Minor: Natural Science
Fun Fact: I almost delivered a baby on Skid Row.
Plans after college: Plan to take two years before medical school and continue working on service trips abroad in Latin America.
Other Involvements: USC Global Medical Brigades, LAFD Voluntary EMT Ambulance Ride-Along, LAPD Community Safey Partnership, Healing Hearts Across Borders, National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine, CareNow Los Angeles, USC Trojan Health Volunteers, USC Community Health Involvement Project.
