Catalina Alvarez-Villanueva directs college access program in the Yakima Valley

catalina alvarez villanueva

Alum Catalina “Catti” Alvarez-Villanueva is Director of Upward Bound at Yakima Valley College, a program that provides fundamental support to low-income and first-generation high school students with the goal of entering college. Alvarez-Villanueva knows this journey well, as someone who struggled to stay in school and finish her education while raising a young son. A vow to her father and the support of Husky Promise helped Alvarez-Villanueva realize her dream of a bachelor’s in Society Ethics & Human Behavior (’13) and later, a master’s in Education (’15) from UW Bothell. Now Alvarez-Villanueva is helping others find their way. Read her story.