Selina López (she/her) was born in Xaltianguis, Guerrero, Mexico, and immigrated to the United States with her mom as a child. She grew up in the quaint town of Vaughan, Warren County, NC, and completed her high school education at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham in 2013. 

In 2017, Selina graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with degrees in Psychology and Hispanic Literature and Cultures, becoming the first person in her family to attend and graduate from a university. During her time at UNC, she demonstrated her passion for community and education by serving as a co-director for the Families United for Education Initiative under NC SLI and for SOAR (STEAM, Outreach, Achievement, Recreation), a program for Latinx youth at McDougle Middle School in Carrboro.

 Selina is deeply passionate about ADELANTE’s work, inspired by her own journey from being an undocumented youth to obtaining permanent residency in 2011 and ultimately becoming a U.S. citizen in 2016. This transformation opened many doors for her, fueling her commitment to advocating & organizing for tuition and education equity for all students, regardless of their immigration status.  

Since 2017, Selina has been a dedicated team member at El Vinculo Hispano (EVH). There, she founded Orgullo Latinx Pride, a youth program that empowers Latinx high school students in Chatham County through service, civic engagement, leadership development, and college/career preparation.