Monserrat Alvarez (Matehuala), Guachichil and Mexica Culhuacan
Monserrat grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, by way of Oxnard, California, where her parents arrived from Mexico Altepetl, also known as Mexico City. She started her career in the Outdoors while attending North Carolina State University, eventually leading various Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts in the industry and groups through affinity-based programming. Monserrat was part of the founding leadership of Brown Girls Climb and spearheaded the affinity programs for the American Mountain Guides Association. She is a proud Brown-Indigenous woman whose work is centered with the Land, comunidad, and remembrance. Monserrat leans into her personal and family’s lived experiences to shape her work and approach with connecting historically disconnected communities in the Outdoors. As the Community Engagement Specialist, you can find her serving as a bridge between her department, local organizations, and community members. Her favorite aspect of her work is to co-create with community to carry out bilingual and multicultural programs such as Caminata con Mama, Melanin on the Mountains, and A la Montaña con la Familia.