Hours of Operation
(Fall/Spring Semester)
Monday – Thursday: 8:30 am – 9:00 pm
Friday: 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
(Summer Hours/ May-August)
Monday – Friday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
History
In the early ‘1990’s, a group of Northeastern faculty, administrators, staff, and students proposed a unique plan to university President John Curry to create a Center that they could call home, a space in which the university’s Latinx community could come together and share their struggles and achievements, as well as their culture.
The work of this group culminated in the creation of what was originally called the Latino/a Student Cultural Center (LSCC), which opened on October 2, 1997.
Why the ‘x’ in Latinx?
“Latinx” is used as an inclusive term to include any individual who self-identifies as Latino|a|e|x or Hispanic, and is inclusive of gender, racial, and ethnic identities.
Staff
DIRECTOR
Sara Rivera, M.Ed. (she/her/ella)
Sara J. Rivera has served at the Latinx Student Cultural Center (LSCC) since 1997, just a few months after the Center first opened its doors at 104 Forsyth Street. Over the years, she has had the joy of meeting and mentoring countless students, celebrating their accomplishments, creating programs that uplift the entire Northeastern community, and celebrating the Latinx diaspora.
As Director, she oversees the Center’s operations, budget, and staff, while also building initiatives that highlight the richness of the Latinx diaspora. She chairs the LaCLA Scholarship Committee, advises several student organizations, and has long been a trusted advocate for students navigating their academic and personal journeys.
A triple Husky, Sara holds an AS in Business Administration, a BS in Leadership, and an M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration, and she was inducted into the Sigma Epsilon Rho Honor Society. Her contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Vice President Award for Outstanding Advisor Involvement, the William Rodriguez Distinguished Service Award, and a formal resolution from the City of Boston. Most importantly, Sara remains deeply committed to ensuring that the LSCC continues to serve as a vibrant, supportive home for students to learn, lead, and grow.
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
Rodrigo Mendoza Lee (he/him/el)
Born and raised in Peru, Rodrigo moved to the U.S. as a teenager to pursue a college education. He has worked as an educator in Boston for eight years. During his time as a teacher and student advisor at Boston Arts Academy, Rodrigo discovered that his passion for working with students was more focused on advising and supporting their leadership and skill development, rather than teaching content. He is deeply committed to empowering underserved and historically marginalized students by facilitating access to transformative resources and opportunities.
Most recently, Rodrigo served as the Assistant Director of Student Activities at Boston University. As a first-generation BU graduate, he was excited to return to his alma mater and introduce innovative programming that brought students together and encouraged meaningful community building in the post-pandemic era. He is proud to have created and implemented large-scale, campus-wide programs that have since become institutionalized as annual traditions. He looks forward to continuing to grow alongside the LSCC familia and making a lasting impact on the well-being and long-term success of its members.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Claudio Concepcion (he/him/el)
Claudio started at the LSCC in 2022. He received his B.S. in Political Science from Stony Brook University. Previously, he worked as the Diversity Coordinator for the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance at the Obama Foundation which seeks to build a safe and supportive community for boys and young men of color where they feel valued and have clear pathways to opportunity.
Originally from the Bronx, NY, Claudio came to Boston to join LSCC staff. He is passionate about helping students shape themselves for a better future, beyond just helping them academically. He is excited to be at the LSCC and to get to work with students and student organizations to help them achieve their goals.
ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR
Rosa Torres (she/her/ella)
Rosa Torres is the Administrative Coordinator of the Latinx Student Cultural Center (LSCC). She has worked at the LSCC since 2003. Rosa was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. She moved to Boston, MA when she was a teenager. In 1996 she graduated from Charlestown High School in Charlestown Boston.
Rosa attended One with One Academy where she received a certificate in intensive administrative training. Rosa supervises work-study students and is the orientation representative for the LSCC. Additionally, she leads the LSCC’s Hora del Café Spanish conversation sessions.
Schedule a meeting with any of the staff
To honor and respect the diverse Indigenous peoples connected to this territory on which we gather, we acknowledge all of this, and remember that many of us are visitors on this land.
Adapted from the Asian American Cultural Center at Yale
