Javier Neira Salazar

My story is similar to that of many in our Madison community. I grew up in Bogota, Colombia, and moved to the United States in high school. From an early age, I knew that I wanted to make the most of the opportunity my parents had given me, and worked hard to better myself and pursue my education goals. After high school, with hard work and the support of my family, I got accepted into UW-Madison, where I graduated with degrees in political science and international studies. 

I started my professional journey in the field of higher education, where I worked for several years as part of special programs that focused on helping individuals and families in our community learn about their opportunities for higher education and achieve their goals. 

During this time, I truly got a chance to learn more about the needs of our community, particularly that of the Latinx community and other minority groups. After several years in this role, I started wondering whether there were more ways that I could support the members of our diverse communities and empower them to make the most out of what’s available to them.