Sophia Garcia Robles Memorial Pow Wow - UC Santa Cruz

It is with great pride that we announce the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office has received approval for the naming of our Conference room (room 201) of the Hahn Student Services Building in honor of Sophía Guadalupé García-Robles, our conference room will now
be named:

“Sophía Guadalupé García-Robles Training and Conference Room”.

Sophía touched many lives during her 27-year career at UC Santa Cruz. She served as financial aid adviser, mentor and advocate for many UCSC students and staff. Prior to joining the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office staff, she was employed at Stevenson College. She also volunteered for well over ten years as a Residential Preceptor at Merrill College and College Eight.

A natural leader, Sophía was charismatic, powerful, genuine and enormously generous. She dedicated her life to the education and the well-being of others and to fighting hunger and poverty. At UC Santa Cruz, Sophía was responsible for internal staff training as well as for serving as a senior adviser for students within the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office; she was the ‘gold standard’ within this office. Sophía was involved in the Chicano/Latino and American Indian communities; she served as a tireless advocate for our “Dreamer” students; was a generous contributor to the UC Santa Cruz Food Pantry and to the Educational Opportunity Program Lending Library.

In the larger community, Sophía was an active member of the Santa Cruz Indian Council and helped organize the annual Red Road Pow Wow. She regularly volunteered for El Teatro Campesino and for the Santa Fe Indian Market. Each year she helped cook holiday meals at the Santa Cruz Vets Hall or at local kitchens in Santa Cruz and Watsonville shelters. She was a financial contributor and former board member of the Santa Cruz Women’s Health Center. Sophía had found a home for her powerful and enchanting singing voice as a member of the Santa Cruz Missionary Baptist Church Chorale.

There is an established Scholarship fund in her name “Sophía Guadalupé García-Robles” which to date has more than 83 donors with contributions of more than $18,000 and has served over 20 students.

Scheduled to Appear:
Head Drum: The Mankillers
Invited Drums: All Nations, Turtle Island
MC: Earl Neconie
Arena Director: Val Shadowhawk
Pomo Dancers
Karuk Dancers
Aztec Dancers
Hand Drum Contest
Gourd Dancers
Vendors, Food, Dancing, and Community

**For more information contact powwow [at] ucsc.edu or the American Indian Resource Center at (831) 459-5999**