Shakira Celebrates NC State Latina Alumnae While On Tour

Before the stadium lights flashed and the beat pulsed through Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium, another kind of energy took the stage – the collective strength of 50 women who are changing the world, one bold step at a time.

To kick off the U.S. leg of her record-setting world tour, Shakira invited the changemaking women – 11 of them NC State Latina alumnae – from across North Carolina to join her for “El Camino con la Loba,” meaning Walk with the She-Wolf. They opened her sold-out show at Charlotte’s Bank of America stadium this May. 

For these women, chosen for their leadership and hard work across a range of fields and organizations, the experience was not only exciting, it was a catalyst – energizing and motivational, strengthening their sense of purpose and binding them closer in community. 

“Being surrounded by Latina leaders from across North Carolina, many of whom are friends, colleagues or people I’ve admired for years, was powerful and humbling,” says Catherine Rivera ’19, program coordinator for the State Engagement Team of the Hunt Institute and student-alumni engagement chair of the NC State University Latinx Alumni Network. “This community continues to inspire me every single day. Our work isn’t always easy, but moments like this really pour back into my cup.”

Lisbeth Carolina Arias ’15, founder of B Corp Certified clothing brand Descalza, agrees.

“While walking with such an icon was an amazing opportunity, the true starstruck moment was meeting the other 49 women who were invited for the walk,” she says. “We all come from different walks of life, are passionate and lead with empathy, but we all use our talents to make North Carolina a home for our community. I was so proud that Shakira used her platform to recognize the work our community has been doing for a while and bring us together to celebrate our success.” 

While walking with such an icon was an amazing opportunity, the true starstruck moment was meeting the other 49 women who were invited for the walk.

Jaquelinne Murillo Figueroa ’14 serves as a removal defense immigration attorney, overseeing a program through which she represents over 500 unaccompanied minors in North and South Carolina. 

“Having the opportunity to meet the other women and also see fellow Wolfpack alumnae was a breath of fresh air that I needed,” she says. “This experience reminded me of the many reasons why I do the work that I do and gave me the motivation to continue doing such.” 

Andrea Duhon ’05, lecturer and director of the Math, Science and Economics Center at Davidson College, co-founded and formerly co-chaired the NC State Latinx Alumni Network. 

“I was deeply moved and inspired by the amazing women who make up the Latinas of North Carolina,” she says. “The diversity in backgrounds, careers, perspectives and life journeys was breathtaking. Each woman brought something truly special to the table – leaders in their own right, radiating passion, purpose and pride. It was powerful to stand among them, all of us walking alongside a force like Shakira, united by our roots and our dreams.”

Gathering the Pack 

Irene Godinez ’04 ’06, founder and co-executive director of Poder NC Action, a nonprofit voter mobilization, education and outreach organization, was one of three people asked to nominate outstanding women for this opportunity. She jumped at the chance, compiling a robust roster of role models and leaders, from students and educators to leading minds in business and technology.

“The majority of the women selected were women that I have had the honor of knowing in a professional or personal capacity,” she said. “Many of the women were already part of a wolfpack, the Wolfpack at NC State.” 

Through her nonprofit, Godinez works to encourage civic engagement to foster positive change in her home state. She calls North Carolina “the pinnacle of potential and possibility,” and believes that Shakira chose to launch her U.S. tour in Charlotte due, at least in part, to the thriving Colombian community in the area, and that the concert is a harbinger of good things to come for North Carolina’s growing Latinx population.

As the selected women received their invitations, something interesting began to happen: that good news seemed to invite more good news, from boosts of entrepreneurial and personal confidence to the award of a grant supporting one woman’s work.

“The women were sharing with me that this news was the beginning of good news for them, and good news begets good news. I didn’t want this to be something that just happened one magical night and then was gone, so I created a whole vision for this opportunity,” says Godinez. 

I didn’t want this to be something that just happened one magical night and then was gone, so I created a whole vision for this opportunity.

Fueled by the Think and Do spirit, she seized the moment. 

She encouraged the women to donate their extra VIP guest tickets to those who were nominated but not selected, in order to get as many of them together as possible. In collaboration with The Center for Cultural Power, her organization hosted a reception the day of the concert so the women could get to know each other, and to keep the energy going, she plans to invest in leadership development for the cohort.

“That’s where the real power of the moment lies, in them connecting and beginning to build a network,” says Godinez, who co-founded the Rho chapter of Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad/Lambda Pi Chi Sorority, the first chapter of a Latina sorority at NC State. “I ended up calling the project ’Connecting Constellations’; we’re all stars already but the thing that gives the constellation meaning is when someone takes the time to point them out in the sky, connect the dots and say, ‘This, here, is the Wolf constellation.’”

Howling With the She-Wolves

“There’s this notion that there’s always got to be an alpha, but with the she-wolf and her pack, there is a commitment that no one is going to get left behind. If you belong to this pack, we are going to weather the storms together, no matter the conditions because the survival of the entire pack is the goal,” says Godinez. “To me, a she-wolf is someone who rises to the need with urgency, making sure we’re looking out for each other, checking our surroundings to ensure we’re all here.” 

That is the meaning and purpose of community – support through joyful connection with others, she said. Rivera agreed. 

“From a young age, my mother instilled in me the importance of community, mutual support and staying grounded in my roots,” says Rivera. “The opportunities I’ve had and where I am today are a direct result of those in my community who believed in and helped me. Now, I’m committed to paying it forward by serving as a connector and giving back in meaningful ways to the community that shaped me.”

Arias will also continue to tell the story of her community.

“The impact I strive to have within our community is to continuously shift the narrative around who we are and where we come from,” she says. “I want our community to move away from the belief that we come from less simply because of the barriers we’ve had to overcome. Instead, I want us to stand firmly in the truth that we come from rich, vibrant roots, and that we carry the resilience and strength of our ancestors within us.”

Together, we are turning hopes and dreams into real possibilities – and that, to me, is pure magic.

Duhon says these are the untold stories of women who, in their own quiet and extraordinary ways, are transforming their communities. “By simply showing up fully and authentically, they are creating space and giving voice to future generations,” says Duhon. “Together, we are turning hopes and dreams into real possibilities – and that, to me, is pure magic.”