Luz (co-founder and co-host)

Luz Rocha is currently an environmental engineer at GSI Environmental. Her project experience includes regulatory compliance documentation and reporting, litigation support, and management and execution of primarily groundwater and soil sampling field programs.

She is the 2nd of 5 kids born to immigrant parents from Mexico and El Salvador and comes from a large family in which education was not a priority. Eager to change that, she strived to be in the first generation of her family to go to college and was able to attend Rice University on a full scholarship. In 2014 she graduated with a BS in chemical engineering. During her time in college she was able to participate in a study abroad program in Australia and New Zealand, conduct scientific research, and lead on-campus organizations. 

She is from Houston, Texas where she attended Carnegie Vanguard High School and graduated as the first Hispanic valedictorian in the school’s history. In her spare time she loves traveling and exploring new places, hiking, and just hanging out with family and friends.

Shiv (co-host)

Shiv Bhakta was the first in his family to graduate from college in 2017, when he graduated from the University of Houston as a Chemical Engineer. Throughout his career, he has developed his analytical capabilities by tackling the energy sector’s many complex challenges. From big oil in the private sector at ExxonMobil to nuclear energy production in the public sector with the National Nuclear Security Administration, he’s helped large organizations implement global-scale projects. 

Concurrently, his passion for community-building has led him to found two social impact ventures. First, Idea Lab Kids Cypress, a STEAM after-school program in his hometown, provides innovative, hands-on activities from 3D printing to chemistry experiments for elementary students. Leading a team of passionate teachers this past year, he’s helped inspire 500+ students to fall in love with STEAM in the same way he did. He also founded Bridged Health, a health education nonprofit that partners with minority communities experiencing health disparities and connects them with passionate student volunteers and health resources. With 100+ volunteers nationwide, they’ve impacted 10,000+ people.

Now, he plans to share his experiences as a first generation student navigating a dynamic professional career in the public and private sectors, social impact, and entrepreneurial space. Shiv has a fiancée, a first gen medical student, with whom he loves traveling the world, playing frisbee, and drinking london fogs.

Sandra (co-host)

Sandra Fernandez was the first in her family to attend college. She says she took the “long road” to her college degree – it took her seven years to complete her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Houston, attending college full and part-time while also working full time. Her immigrant parents' goal was for their children to get a college degree, and Sandra paved the way for the others. The “long road” was one that her siblings also journeyed on their way to their college degrees, but all of them completed an undergraduate degree with at least one venturing beyond that.

Sandra is co-founder of Big Oak Tree Media, where she helps organizations and businesses create engaging storytelling to reach new audiences and turn customers into lifelong fans. Through her roles in higher education, politics, government, non-profits, and agencies, she has acquired extensive media relations and crisis communications experience, as well as expertise in digital communications and in engaging U.S. Hispanic audiences. Sandra teaches government, small businesses, and non-profits how to use social media successfully through conferences, workshops, panels, and presentations. Learn more at bigoaktreemedia.com.

She frequently volunteers her time for professional and nonprofit organizations. Currently, she is Marketing Chair of the Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas Houston Chapter, where she is helping to relaunch the chapter in Houston. She also is on the Scholarship Committee for the Public Relations Society of America Houston Chapter, where she helps give public relations students scholarships for undergraduate and graduate studies.

She has lived in the United States and Mexico, studying in both countries. In her free time, Sandra watches sci-fi and reads many books.

Adnan (co-host)

Adnan Karim grew up in the Houston area and was the first person in his family to attend and graduate from college here in the states. As a first generation college student he quickly learned the value in having a “village” to help guide, motivate, and inspire to “survive” college. With their help he went on to graduate with a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Houston. During his time at UH Adnan was a Teaching Assistant to many engineering classes, a student leader on campus for various diversity organizations all while being the primary caretaker for his family at home learning how to balance all the responsibilities between school/life.

After graduation Adnan started his now 5 year career at Dow Chemical. He began as an operations engineer working in various production facilities and is now in the business realm as a Commercial Manager managing a portfolio of Hydrocarbons for the company. Much like in school he has kept his “village” mentality at work focusing on people, relationship building, and helping others be successful. 

In his spare time Adnan loves to travel the world, explore new restaurants in town, and workout at his local functional training group gym.