WElcome
2025
Cantomundo fellows

Jay Aja, Tampa, Florida

Franchesca Araujo, Oakland, California

Yazud Brito-Milian, Chicago, Illinois

Micaela Camacho Tenreiro, Wharton, New Jersey

Mckendy Fils-Aimé, Lowell, Massachusetts

Mandy Gutmann-Gonzales, Worchester, Massachusetts

Lauren Licona, Phoenix, Arizona

Paul Martinez-Pompa, Chicago, Illinois

Shelby Pinkham, Bakersfield, California

Laura Villareal, Central Texas

 

The 2025 fellows represent the range of Latinidad identities from all parts of the nation, selected from a record 141 applications. New this year, following the best practices of similar organizations, was forming a reading committee, which included CantoMundo graduates, one Advisory Board member, and two outside readers. In addition to our esteemed reading committee members, CantoMundo thanks Hayden’s Ferry Review for providing space on their Submittable portal to manage the application and selection process.

 

The new fellows will attend the CantoMundo retreat June 18-22, joining second and third-year fellows Maryam Parkizkar, Lauren Espinoza, Gerardo Pacheco, Roberto Santiago, Michelle Moncayo, Noel Quiñones, Sebastian Paramo, Cristina Correa, Aerik Francis, and Aldo Amparan. Faculty and keynote speakers for this summer’s retreat include Yesenia Montilla, Raina J. León, and George Abraham.

 

In the coming weeks, learn more about our new fellows and the exciting happenings during this year’s retreat by following our social media and here, on our website.