As a graduate student, Agudo saw firsthand how many of her peers were also working professionals arriving on campus after long days at work. Through her leadership roles in Associated Students Inc. and on the Santos Manuel Student Union (SMSU) Board of Directors, where she served as a graduate student representative, vice chair, and chair, Agudo amplified graduate student voices.

Her leadership on campus soon became more than representation. It was the beginning of a movement to create space and visibility for graduate students.

As a graduate student, Agudo saw firsthand how many of her peers were also working professionals arriving on campus after long days at work. Through her leadership roles in Associated Students Inc. and on the Santos Manuel Student Union (SMSU) Board of Directors, where she served as a graduate student representative, vice chair, and chair, Agudo amplified graduate student voices.

“We made sure that graduate students had a place to go,” she said. Her advocacy helped lead to the creation of the Graduate Student Success Center in 2022, a dedicated space where graduate students could study, connect and build community.

Agudo and her peers also fought for seemingly small but meaningful changes at CSUSB, such as extended facility hours on weekends and later dining options on campus.

For Agudo, advocacy is about speaking up and helping others find the confidence to do the same.

“We have to be the voice for those today that are not heard, or whose voice is just a little lower,” she said. “I never say that one doesn't have a voice. We do — we just haven't been empowered to use it.”

Agudo’s advocacy didn’t just uplift others — it opened doors for her own career.

While pursuing her doctoral degree, she was selected as one of CSUSB’s first Holmes Scholars, part of the national American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) Holmes Scholars Program. CSUSB was the first California State University to join the initiative, which supports traditionally underserved students and develops them into future education leaders through mentorship, peer support and professional development opportunities.

Through the program, Agudo presented her research at national conferences and traveled to Washington, D.C., for AACTE’s Washington Week and Day on the Hill, where she met with policymakers and congressional offices to advocate for education.

Agudo also participated in the California Community College Region 9 Rising Faculty Mentorship Program, pairing graduate students with teaching mentors in higher education. Under the guidance of Marcus Anderson at Moreno Valley College, she shadowed, lectured and eventually received a teaching offer.

“Had I not sent that Region 9 application … I would not be living my dream of teaching higher ed,” she said. “That’s the ultimate goal.”

Agudo is now an associate professor at Moreno Valley College, teaching accounting courses while continuing her doctoral studies at CSUSB and working in the Rialto Unified School District. After earning her doctorate, she plans to continue teaching in higher education and hopes to expand her impact by consulting with K-12 districts on parent engagement and college readiness.

A two-time CSUSB alumna, Agudo earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2018 and her MBA with a concentration in management and accounting in 2021. Now a doctoral student, her research, “The Parental Experience: First-Generation Students in the Transition from High School to College,” explores the familial transition experience in an effort to identify how educational institutions can better support families through their children’s educational journeys, a reflection of her lifelong mission to make higher education more accessible and empowering for all.

Her determination has inspired her family to follow in her footsteps. Her son is pursuing his master’s degree at CSUSB, and her sister, niece, and even her daughter’s boyfriend have joined the Coyote family.

Agudo’s story stands as a legacy of advocacy, access and empowerment. Whether creating space for graduate students or representing CSUSB in Washington, D.C., Agudo demonstrates how determination and purpose can drive lasting change.

Along the way, Agudo’s family, friends and colleagues have been a vital part of her journey, offering encouragement, understanding and support as she pursued her goals. She now hopes to do the same for her students.

“Find yourself your support group,” she tells them. “And if you cannot find one person to name as part of your support, you’ve got me now. So write my name in. It’s all about goal setting and finding your happiness.”