BEST PROFESSIONAL IMPACT AWARD
In this category we recognize talented Mexicans that have excelled in their careers, broken glass ceilings, and achieved new heights at home and abroad. They are academics, researchers, designers, and overachiever professionals that are truly trailblazers.
MELANIA ALVAREZ
Melania grew up in Mexico City, where she completed her undergraduate education at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. She later earned master's degrees in economics and anthropology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and in operations research from Stanford University. In 2016 she completed a Ph.D. in mathematics education at Simon Fraser University under the supervision of Peter Liljedahl. At UBC, Melania is known for the summer mathematics camps she developed to improve the mathematical education of indigenous secondary-school students. She is the 2012 winner of the Adrien Pouliot Award, given by the Canadian Mathematical Society for significant contributions to mathematics education in Canada.
ivonne navas-penit
Ivonne Navas is the Director of “Explore I.D.E.A.S. Immigration & Education Corp.” She graduated from ITESM in Mexico with a scholarship by the university for academic excellence. Her studies continued in Canada with leadership and business programs from the BCIT; a certificate in Immigration Law from the University of British Columbia and learning of foreign languages in Germany, France, Brazil, Canada and the USA. She considers herself as a “citizen of the world”, who empathizes with seekers of new horizons reaching beyond borders. Ivonne has received multiple awards and recognitions during her professional journeys internationally. She is an active volunteer and entrepreneur advocating for strategic alliances with non profits, businesses and governmental institutions to benefit local and international education initiatives. Ivonne shares her passion for internationalization by helping foreign nationals fulfill their dreams by exploring their goals through educational and immigration pathways.
CLAUDIA MUÑOZ
Claudia studied medicine at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México where she specialized in Dermatology, and further specialized in Dermo-oncology and Dermatological surgery at Hospital General de México. She is a member of the Sociedad Mexicana de Dermatología, Academia Mexicana de Dermatología, Colegio Ibero Latino Americano de Dermatología, American Academy of Dermatology and is also a founding member of the Sociedad Mexiquense de Dermatología. Claudia moved to Vancouver in 2004 and her love and passion for skin issues and dermatology, together with her deep conviction that she had to use her knowledge for helping the society led her to find a way to use her skills; she become certified in Canada as an Advanced Skin Care Professional and Medical Esthetician. In February 2018, she opened Skin Blossom Professional Inc. At her new skin care clinic, each day Claudia demonstrates the warmth and caring that we all have gotten to know, as well as applying her knowledge and experience in serving our community.