Blending professional success with community impact, Lorenzo Mendez inspires as an alumnus leader

Lorenzo Mendez ’12 is a featured speaker for the , providing career advice to current University students.

Lorenzo Mendez’s journey from a financial economics and math student at the Ģ����ý to a CFA charterholder and global investor demonstrates how academic roots can inspire a meaningful career. Today, Mendez works with a philanthropic organization focused on financing solutions to address the climate crisis, blending his expertise in public and private financial markets with his commitment to environmental impact.

As a first-generation college student, Mendez credits his time at Rochester as foundational to his success. “The connections I made and the skills I developed there continue to influence my professional path,” he says. His role now involves sourcing investments globally, aligning his passion for finance with pursuing sustainable environmental solutions. One of his proudest accomplishments is contributing to sustainable investment strategies that make a tangible impact.

Beyond his professional achievements, Mendez is deeply involved in the Ģ����ý’s Latin Alumni Network, a group dedicated to fostering community among Latin and Hispanic alumni. Inspired by a desire to connect with fellow graduates and support the Latin community, Mendez has taken on leadership roles that leverage his expertise in finance and global investments to further the network’s mission.

“I believe the network offers meaningful opportunities for engagement, mentorship, and support,” he explains. His involvement has included mentoring students and helping organize events focused on professional development and career advancement. One of his most rewarding experiences has been participating in the , which connects alumni with current students.

Being part of the Latin Alumni Network has also enriched Mendez’s own professional and personal growth. “Engaging with diverse perspectives within the network has expanded my understanding of global opportunities,” he notes. Through events, mentorship, and collaboration, the network fosters community and cultural pride while creating academic and professional success opportunities.

Mendez emphasizes the importance of staying connected to one’s alma mater. “It allows us to give back, learn from each other, and create opportunities for the next generation,” he says. For Mendez, staying engaged is not just about maintaining ties—it’s about contributing to a supportive environment that encourages growth and belonging among students and alumni alike.

Looking to the future, Mendez is particularly excited about the Latin Alumni Network Scholarship, an initiative to support the next generation of student leaders. He encourages alumni to get involved with the Latin Alumni Network, whether through attending events, participating in mentorship programs, or exploring philanthropic and volunteer opportunities. “It’s a great way to connect, share experiences, and contribute to the growth of our Latin/Hispanic community,” he says.

When reflecting on his college years, Mendez has one piece of advice for his younger self: “Embrace opportunities to build connections early, as they can open doors and create valuable relationships for the future.” This mindset underscores his vision for the Latin Alumni Network’s future—a platform that not only connects alumni but also actively addresses social and environmental challenges through collaborative initiatives.

Meet Latin Alumni Network member Sean Dozier ’21S (MBA)

We’re kicking off our Latin Alumni Network Spotlight series, featuring a new alumnus every month, to highlight the professional achievements of our members and their connection to the University.

Name: Sean Dozier
Class Year: 2021
Job Title: Project Manager
Industry: Technology Consulting

Who is someone that inspired you during your time on campus?
All of my fellow MBA students inspired me during my time on campus; they were accomplished and motivated to succeed. Whenever I needed a boost in my morale, I only had to look around the room for examples to draw upon for strength.

What are you most proud of about your Ģ����ý education?
Honestly, I’m proud to simply have been admitted and graduated from the URochester. This is a level of personal success that I never could have believed possible based on my starting point in life.

What advice would you give a current or incoming student?
Be bold enough to ask for help. Ask early. Ask often. The Ģ����ý is an amazing place filled with some of the world’s top minds. They want you to succeed and help is available from a plethora of sources.

Natalie Lewis ’22N and Evelyn Santos ’23N (MS) are nursing champions for their communities.

Natalie Lewis ’22N

Nurses have always been at the forefront of addressing health disparities and that’s a role Natalie Lewis ’22N and Evelyn C. Santos ’23N (MS), RN, PMHN-BC have never shied away from. They’ve both committed to making a difference as nurses by caring for the mental health and well-being of their communities.

Since finishing her bachelor’s degree in 2022, Lewis has been passionate about contributing to her community through psychiatric and mental health nursing—it’s her way of staying connected to her city. In addition to her studies, she is a per-diem member of the City of Rochester’s Person in Crisis Team, a group who accompanies police on mental health calls. She also previously worked as a nurse at the Monroe County Children’s Detention Center.

Lewis spends most of her week either at school or her two jobs as a nurse and emergency response social worker. Recently, she returned to the Ģ����ý Medical Center as part of the .

Natalie Lewis ’22N

“It’s always been mental health for me. That’s my niche,” said Lewis, who is currently pursuing her master’s degree in the family psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner specialty. “It’s so important, especially for African American families. Most people will tell you— ‘you’re not depressed,’ or ‘you’re not stressed.’”

Growing up, Lewis said she experienced “old-school” beliefs about mental health in the Black community, but she has also seen attitudes start to shift. Her interest in mental health, combined with a natural gift for math and science, led Lewis to pursue her first bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University at Buffalo.

Afterward, Lewis knew she would need an advanced degree if she wanted to work in a clinical setting. She had considered pursuing a master’s in mental health counseling, but she also felt drawn to nursing. A job as a crisis specialist at Strong Memorial Hospital, where Lewis worked alongside the various members of a behavioral health team, helped confirm her interest in psychiatric nursing.

That has also been one of the most rewarding parts of her work as a nurse so far, at both the Monroe County Children’s Detention Center and the hospital. “I’m able to make an impact on the youth and have conversations with them about their current situation and how they can make changes in the future,” she said.

Continuing her education is one of Lewis’ proudest achievements. She is the youngest of six siblings, and the first to go to college. She is grateful not only for the chance to build a better future for herself, but to make her family proud as well.

“Seeing my mom happy and proud is the most important thing to me,” Lewis said. “I want to make her life easier and be able to take care of her. I like knowing she doesn’t have to worry about me.”

Evelyn C. Santos ’23N (MS), RN, PMHN-BC

When Santos joined the School of Nursing’s (LHCS) master’s program, she had already built a reputation at the URochester Medical Center as a fierce advocate for underserved populations.

Her years of experience in psychiatric and mental health nursing have inspired her work. Santos is the former lead nurse of , Upstate New York’s only bilingual outpatient mental health clinic. It’s a role that she developed and implemented herself, leveraging the ability of nurses to build strong ties with the communities they serve.

“Working with the Latino community was personally important to me. I knew my work made a significant impact on patient outcomes,” Santos said.

Rochester’s Latino population has more than tripled since the 1980s, . Nationally, Hispanic and Latino communities in the U.S. to mental health care, such as a lack of cultural competence among providers, immigration status, stigma, or language barriers.

Her LHCS capstone project focused on optimizing depression screenings among the local Latino community.

“The most rewarding part of the role is being an advocate for cultural awareness and providing equitable health care services,” she added. “I completed a needs assessment through a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens and implemented the utilization of iPads at my working site to capture depression screens electronically in Spanish,” she explained.

“This project provided an opportunity to improve depression screening rates among our Latino patient population, and also helped improve our collaborative decision-making strategies within the program I support.”

Santos’ graduate capstone is the latest highlight of a career defined by breaking barriers for this growing population. In addition to her role at the Lazos Fuertes Clinic, she served as a consultant to help expand UR Medicine’s Spanish-language neurology clinic, and created a guide dedicated to helping English-speaking nurses overcome language barriers that often interfere with care.

During her time at the School of Nursing, Santos was honored with the Paul J. Burgett Nursing Student Life Award, which recognizes a graduating student who enriches the School’s environment and serves as a positive catalyst for change.

Evelyn C. Santos ’23N (MS), RN, PMHN-BC

Just a few months after finishing the LHCS degree, Santos accepted a promotion within the Department of Psychiatry to a new role as a quality and education nurse. She looks forward to utilizing her nurse educator role to bring diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, trauma-informed care, and the impact of adverse childhood events (ACEs) to the forefront of the department’s educational curriculum.

Both Lewis and Santos knew they were in the right place at the URochester School of Nursing.

Eager to widen her scope of practice as a nurse, Lewis already felt a strong sense of belonging during her time as an accelerated bachelor’s student. Santos knew she could advance her work as an advocate for health equity.

“I enjoy the community within the school,” Lewis said. “I have developed friendships in nursing school that I feel I will have for a lifetime.

“What stood out to me as I explored opportunities for my master’s degree was the UR School of Nursing’s mission to be an inclusive environment,” Santos recalled. “The School of Nursing makes diversity, equity and inclusion efforts a priority. As a minority student, this was important to me.”

Meet Chile Network Leader Pilar Osorio-Godoy ’15S (MS)

Pilar Osorio-Godoy ’15S (MS)

Tell us about your time as a student.

As someone who lived most of their life outside of the USA, moving to Rochester to study at the URochester was in itself a whole new experience. From the start, I was very pleased with the diversity of the student body and the variety of classes and after-class activities was amazing. I made friends for life and made memories that will last forever. I loved Rochester so much that 8 years later, I am still here!

I joined the Dance Club and the Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) and participated in several events, such as the Date-Auction fundraiser, Simon United musical presentations, the first Student Drag Show and much more! I found an amazing group of friends in ALAS (The Association of Latin American Students), participating in sports (volleyball and soccer) and social events. I even continued participating in ALAS for several years after graduating as many of my friends were PhD students and still participated in the group.

How did your experience at the URochester influence your life?

My experience has given me a higher level of confidence in myself and my knowledge and experience. Not only through my professors and the University staff, but through learning from the experiences of my classmates and friends. Everyone came from different backgrounds, work, and life experiences and I realized that I had been given the privilege of higher education and that I had the opportunity of giving back on so many levels.

That’s why I decided to start volunteering my time to different organizations. Currently, I serve on the Board of Directors of which works to reduce waste going to landfills by giving things a second life, and as President of the Board of , which focuses on sharing Latino culture and educating communities with culture and entertainment in Western New York. And of course, as a volunteer with the Ģ����ý Alumni Network!

What inspired you to get involved and volunteer?

I wanted to continue to be connected with the University and contribute towards making the alumni experience a rich and enjoyable experience for others.

In 2019, I joined an amazing group of alumni, that are mostly in Chile, as one of the Leaders of the Chile Network.

Also, I have been connecting with the leaders of the and I am very excited that this new network has been created. I have attended some of their events and I was invited to participate in the event “Fighting 4 La Raza: The Quest for a Vibrant Future for Latinos through the Influence of our Ancestors” to share the mission and benefits of joining the Latin Alumni Network.

What’s the most rewarding part of staying connected with your alma mater?

I feel like the University has given so much to me beyond the student experience. It has given me a network of friends and colleagues, continuous growth, and being connected to the University is an opportunity for me to give back and continue to be part of an amazing community. I am very proud to be a URochester alumna and I am grateful that I made the decision to come to Rochester.

What are you looking forward to next?

I hope to reignite the Chile Network as everything continues to open up post-COVID and organize an in-person event again in Santiago. We also hope to have more online networking events with other local networks in South and Central America.

I also want to increase my participation in the Latin Alumni Network and find some opportunities to mix University events with the non-profits I work with in the area. I am also working with the Eastman School of Music to supporting the promotion of the first Opera in Spanish to be presented at the Eastman Theatre. We are working directly with the director of the show to make sure we cover the whole city and reach the community.

What advice do you have for others looking to get involved?

I’d say if you want to participate, just do it! You can do absolutely anything that fits your skills and/or interests. If you can’t participate as a leader of a network, you can still offer support through other activities, sharing your ideas, etc.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

You don’t have to be in Rochester to participate as a volunteer or in an Alumni Network. You can find a group locally or participate remotely. The opportunities are extensive and very rewarding.

Meet Latin Alumni Network co-chair Iveth Reynolds ’12S (MBA)

Iveth Reynolds ’12S (MBA)

Tell us about your time as a student.

I loved my time as a student of the Executive MBA (EMBA) Program at Simon. Our time was tight, but the staff made sure we had enough fun events outside of class to keep us going. Two of my favorite memories were a trip to Switzerland to visit our sister EMBA program and a project where we worked collaboratively with University leaders to come up with new ideas for the program. I remember Dean Zupan always being accessible and introducing me personally to leaders across the world that helped with our project.

How did your experience at the URochester influence your life?

The Executive MBA challenged me not just academically, but personally. Sometimes to grow you have to step outside of your comfort zone and experience new things and ideas. This program certainly did that for me and I am now more confident and strategic in my decision-making.

What inspired you to get involved and volunteer?

I was very involved with my community prior to attending the EMBA program. I was a founding board member of Latinas Unidas and chair of the . This event focuses on building self-esteem in young girls, and I had created and introduced a workshop around career planning for high school students. At the workshop, in a room of 30 girls, only two aspired to go to college. I knew I needed to reach out to Dean Burdick at the URochester to help show these young women the endless possibilities for their futures. We met to discuss a location for The Rally, barely 5 minutes into my presentation, he offered to host us for the next 8 years! I have seen the impact the University can make and want to be part of the changes that need to take place to help the University stay in pace with our changing community.

What’s the most rewarding part of staying connected with your alma mater?

I am currently on the Diversity Advisory Council (DAC) and have seen the impact of our work.  I could not be more proud of the progress. There is still a lot of work to be done but seeing the progress keeps me connected.

What are you looking forward to next?

I’m looking forward to and honored to be a founding co-chair of the Latin Alumni Network. I love the work we do and hope to continue to volunteer more.

What advice do you have for others looking to get involved?

Attend an event and meet other alumni volunteers! Make sure to ask them about all the projects and events happening; we often don’t realize how much the University has going on until we ask.