Fifty Latina women from across North Carolina joined Shakira on stage to open the U.S. leg of her tour with “El Camino con la Loba,” meaning Walk with the She-Wolf.
When Shakira brought her world tour to Charlotte, she didn’t just bring the music — she brought a group of women who are making an impact.
Eleven Latina NC State alumnae were among the changemakers chosen to join her on stage for “El Camino con la Loba,” Walk with the She-Wolf before she kicked off the concert.
This is the background of five of those women.
Alumnae: Irene Godinez ’04 ’06
About: Irene Godínez is a North Carolinian of proud Mexican heritage. Irene is the founder and co-executive director of Poder NC Action, a values-based nonprofit organization building independent political power with Latinx youth and their peers who support our principles of being: pro-Black, pro-Latinx, pro-LGBTQ+, pro-reproductive justice and pro-climate justice. Poder has distinguished itself with its innovative and joyful approach to voter mobilization, education and outreach by leaning into cultural arts, while also becoming an incubator of Latinx political talent in the state.
In her 20 years of work in nonprofit and movement organizations, Irene has engaged in community mobilization and engagement, legislative advocacy, coalition-building, media relations and strategic communications, all from a place of deep love for community and hope for the change she knows is possible. She is most passionate about shaping the narrative for civic mobilization and helping others see their own genius and possibilities.
Irene thrives when she is cultivating relationships with others who are also “creatively maladjusted” to injustice. She is a truth teller who agitates for equity and accountability especially in political representation, funding and leadership opportunities for BIPOC leaders. Irene experiences deep joy when she is in conversation with young people, baking something decadent, or is doing skincare with her school-aged daughter, Emerald, who is named after North Carolina’s official state gem.
Alumnae: Jaquelinne Murillo Figueroa ’14
About: Born in Guanajuato, Mexico, Jaquelline lived there until she was 10 years old, when her family immigrated to the United States and moved to Kannapolis, North Carolina. She graduated with honors from NC State in 2014 with a bachelor’s in international studies with a concentration on Latin America and minors in French and anthropology. Her greatest pride while being at NC State was founding the Epsilon Nu chapter of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Incorporated; however, she also held various leadership roles on campus including being a Hispanic symposium counselor.
In 2014, Jaquelline joined the Teach For America corps, serving students in the Rio Grande Valley for two years. As a teacher in Harlingen, Texas, she led her students to achieve the highest science scores on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness percentage pass rate in several years in the history of the school. In 2016, she returned to North Carolina to attend Campbell Law School. During law school, she organized a Know Your Rights event for immigrants in North Carolina with local attorneys that was streamed through the local Univision channel. She served as president of the Hispanic Law Student Association, leading the organization to win Student Organization of the Year in 2018 for the first time in the Law School’s history. Additionally, Jaquelline was one of two students in her class on the Community, Diversity and Student Life Committee. She was part of the legal team during Moral Mondays for the North Carolina Poor People’s Campaign. She held various leadership positions, but being president of the Hispanic Law Student Association for two years and founder of the Immigrant and Refugee Rights Pro Bono Project are her greatest prides.
In 2019, following law school and passing the North Carolina bar exam that same summer, she began working with a private law firm, through which she represented individuals in removal proceedings throughout the United States and detainees at Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia. Jaquelline now serves as a removal defense immigration attorney and lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. She oversees a program through which she represents more than 500 unaccompanied minors in North and South Carolina.
Alumnae: Catherine Rivera ’19
About: Catherine Rivera is a program coordinator for the State Engagement Team of the Hunt Institute. She graduated from NC State in 2019 with a B.A. international studies and a B.A. in political science. Before working with the Hunt Institute, she served for five years in state government for the NC Department of Commerce and the NC Department of Administration. She also previously worked on the 2018 Dan McCready for Congress campaign as a field organizer and held internships at the North Carolina governor’s office and LEAD NC/LEAD NC Institute, a nonprofit working to seek out, encourage and cultivate a new generation of community and civic leaders for North Carolina. Through these roles Catherine found a love for community engagement and empowerment.
Catherine was appointed in 2022 to serve on the Raleigh Hispanic and Immigrants Affairs Board and serves on the board of the NC State University Latinx Alumni Network as their Student-Alumni Engagement Chair. She is an active member of Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad/Lambda Pi Chi Sorority, Inc. and is proud of her Colombian and Puerto Rican roots. Deeply committed to the empowerment and advancement of BIPOC and Latinx communities, Catherine brings both passion and purpose to everything she does. Catherine lives in Garner, North Carolina, with her partner, Gabriel, and her two dogs, Ash and Willow.
Alumnae: Carolina Arias ’15
About: Born in El Salvador and raised in North Carolina, Lisbeth Carolina Arias has woven her story as an immigrant into a career rooted in culture, storytelling and impact. A class of 2015 graduate of NC State with a degree in fashion and textile design, Arias has worked with community-led organizations in Guatemala, Brazil, Mexico and Italy, and trained under renowned fashion houses including Vera Wang in New York City before founding her own label, Descalza.
Descalza, meaning barefoot in Spanish, is a handcrafted, Certified B Corporation fashion brand that collaborates with artisans from Latin America and local seamstresses in North Carolina to create unique, vibrant and custom statement pieces. These colorful statement pieces not only fit the body but also honor cultural roots and immigrant narratives. Arias and her team have designed pieces for Miss Universe 2022, the 2024 GRAMMY Awards, and actor and comedian John Leguizamo. They’ve also been featured in Forbes, Latina Magazine, Univision and PBS, to name a few. In addition to leading Descalza, Arias has applied her expertise in design and storytelling to the marketing world. She has developed bilingual visual campaigns, branding strategies and educational content for mission-driven clients. Her work bridges design with purpose, amplifying the voices of underrepresented communities and helping organizations connect more deeply with their audiences.
Alumnae: Andrea Duhon ’05
About: Dr. Andrea Duhon is a passionate educator, dedicated community leader and proud Latina trailblazer in STEM. With a Ph.D. in mathematics education from Columbia University and over two decades of experience in teaching and academic leadership, she has devoted her career to expanding access, equity and representation in higher education – especially for women and Latinx communities in STEM.
Currently serving as the director of the Math, Science and Economics Center and a lecturer in mathematics and computer science at Davidson College, Dr. Duhon leads initiatives that support underrepresented students in STEM, overseeing more than 60 embedded tutors and developing programs that drive student success. Prior to Davidson, she served as an assistant professor at Marshall University, where she co-created curriculum for K–12 teacher training and student success programs to bridge academic gaps worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Duhon’s commitment to community extends far beyond the classroom. She is the co-founder and former co-chair of the Latinx Alumni Network at North Carolina State University, where she also helped establish a scholarship endowment to support Latinx students. Through her leadership roles on multiple nonprofit boards including the Art of Stepping Foundation and the Chris Duhon Stand Tall Foundation, she continues to mentor, uplift and create opportunities for young people, particularly girls of color. A recipient of numerous honors including the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Legacy Award from NC State’s College of Sciences and the 2020 Student Success Award from Marshall University, Dr. Duhon is deeply committed to changing the narrative for the next generation. She believes in the power of representation and strives to ensure that young Latinas see themselves in every lecture, every lab and every leadership role in STEM.
