Congratulations to our January 2024 Member of the Month (MeMo) Meredith Curry Nuñez! National College Attainment Network (NCAN) staff asked her both professional and personal questions so you can get to know her and the work she does
better.
Name: Meredith Curry Nuñez (she/her)
Location: San Jose, CA
Alma Mater: University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA)
Q: What brought you to the college access and success field initially?
A: I am a first-generation college graduate, and I attribute my success to the support of programs like the Early Academic Outreach Program (EAOP) and my mentors. Leaders like Dwayne Cantrell, now at Cal State Bakersfield, and Claudia
Morales, now at UC Berkeley, helped me access programs and resources so that I could go to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). My mother, Helena Curry, encouraged me to aim for college. Together, we started the Filipino Parents’ and
Students’ Association club during my first year at Piedmont Hill High School in East San Jose, CA.
When I went to UCLA, I wanted to help students just like me in the same way. I worked for the GEAR UP program in Inglewood, CA, and EAOP at high schools throughout Los Angeles County. That work over my four-year journey at UCLA inspired me to aim for
roles that allowed me to do the same work of advising students and supporting families. My professional and personal mission has been to lift up multiply marginalized and underserved communities ever since.
Q: What do you love most about your role or organization?
A: The opportunity to work with NCCPC opened my eyes to the power of partnership- and coalition-building across multiple regions. I have developed deep relationships with colleges like San Jose City College and mayors like the 50th Mayor
of Oakland, Libby Schaaf, and the Mayor of Hayward, Mark Salinas. Due to these experiences, my eyes are wide open to the power of cities engaging with nonprofit organizations and industries to solve shared challenges.
In my role, I support over 60 coalition members and amplify the best and most promising practices from cities like San Jose in Santa Clara County, Oakland in Alameda County, Richmond in Contra Costa County, and Stockton in San Joaquin County. I also get
to partner with our members and allies to leverage what is already working in various pockets of Northern California to disseminate vetted and trusted resources and co-create and pilot new programs and initiatives. Through NCCPC, I learned that it
is not only possible but critical that we build community across long distances and geographies. We can do that by cultivating safe, virtual spaces, and coalitions/networks like NCCPC are ready and eager to offer this service to the field.
Q: What's your favorite thing about being an NCAN member?
A: I am most grateful for the many professional development opportunities that NCAN provides for its members. I am honored and privileged that since I’ve been a member, I’ve participated in several of their programs:
Member and Student Federal Advocacy Fellowship (2020-2021)
Advisory Task Force (2021-23)
Policy Council (2023)
These opportunities provided me with critical and priceless training that has empowered me to engage meaningfully and productively in state and federal advocacy. I even participated in my first Hill Day with NCAN in the spring of 2023. I’ve leveraged
the learnings and the network I’ve developed through NCAN to disseminate their resources, initiatives, campaigns, and opportunities to over 300 practitioners across NCCPC’s listserv.
Personality Questions
Every month, our MeMos will be answering some fun questions to help us get to know their “out of office” side! To start off the series, Meredith graciously agreed to answer all seven questions so you can get a grasp for what MeMos will be discussing all year!
Q: If you were dropped into any movie or TV show as a new main character, what movie or TV show would you pick and why?
A: I would choose the TV show "Avatar: The Last Airbender," the Nickelodeon cartoon series, not the movie. I appreciate all the lessons in this story. It has calls to action to open your mind and heart to those different from you, care for all
living things, embrace spirituality, honor our ancestors, and respect the Earth.
I want to be a character in the Water Tribe with Katara. Healing is one of their gifts, and that's the gift I want to have in the world.
Q: You get to host a dinner party with five people, dead or alive, famous or not. Who are you hosting?
A: My five guests would be: Paulo Coelho, author of The Alchemist; Maya Angelou; Tamara Levitt, Head of Mindfulness for the Calm app; Edgar Villanueva, founder of the Decolonizing Wealth Project; and Michelle Obama.
Q: What's one thing you'd like to cross off your personal bucket list? Is there one thing you've crossed off already that you're really proud of?
A: I’d like to complete a 10-day silent meditation retreat. I look forward to muting my ego and creating more spaciousness in my mind and heart. I’ve successfully completed 2,196 straight days of meditation (my goal was 2,000) which has
dramatically changed my life and attitude.
Q: Imagine you could teleport anywhere. Where would you go right now and why?
A: If I could go anywhere and any time, I would teleport to when my grandmother was in her 50s and ask her questions I never got the chance to ask her since she passed in October 2022. If I have to teleport somewhere in the present time, I would go to Jackson, MS to where my father grew up since I’ve never been there and don’t know where it is.
Q: What's your favorite food, and one food you don't like?
A: My favorite food is white rice + [insert anything here]. Food I do not like is anything with tripe.
Q: If you could immediately be fluent in one language AND proficiently play one instrument, which language and instrument would you choose and why?
A: I would be immediately fluent in Spanish because it’s a highly spoken language in California, and it’s a beautiful language. Tagalog, which I speak fluently, is influenced by Spanish so I also believe it would help me understand my
mom’s native language better. I would like to proficiently play the guitar. I write poetry and sing, so it would be great to play my own music.
Q: You HAVE to sing at karaoke. What song do you pick?
A: “I Like That” by Janelle Monae. It’s fun AND it’s affirming.
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