Success Stories of Hispanic Alumni of ND

As part of its Hispanic Heritage Month 2023 series of events, the Institute for Latino Studies will host a virtual panel with members of the Hispanic Alumni of Notre Dame (HAND). Panelist will share their stories of success after graduation. This event was recorded on Wednesday, September 20, 2023.

Speakers:
Speakers and their respective fields will include

Alfredo Arvide ’05 (Technology)

With close to 20 years of professional work experience, Alfredo Arvide is a versatile marketing executive and technology expert with an entrepreneurial spirit. Today, Alfredo is the Chief Innovation Officer for Blue People, a Mexico-based Software Development company and is also a Co-Founder of Cloche Restaurant Services, a mobile food ordering startup. Born in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, Alfredo left home to pursue a Bachelor’s in Computer Science from the University of Notre Dame and a Master’s in Technology Commercialization from the University of Texas at Austin a few years later. He is a Houston Leadership Fellow Class XXXIX, and was honored as a member of Houston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2023.

Dr. Joaquin Cigarroa ’09 (Medicine)

Originally from the Texas-Mexico border city of Laredo, Dr. Joaquin G. Cigarroa IV is a very proud Notre Dame alumnus. He earned his Bachelor of Science from the University of Notre Dame in 2009 and his medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) in 2013. He then completed an internal medicine residency followed by fellowships in both cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology in both Texas and Michigan.

While a student at Notre Dame, Joaquin resided in Keough Hall (Go ‘Roos!). He remains very close with the friendships he forged during “frosh-o” week and still has emotional scars from the “Bush push” football game of 2005 during his freshman year. Joaquin’s fondest memory during his college years, however, is meeting his wife, Katie Connolly (Badin Hall, class of ‘09), during their senior year.

What Joaquin is most proud of is his family. He and Katie reside in Austin, TX and have four young children (and a fifth on the way!). After his family, his greatest passion is supporting the University of Notre Dame in every capacity. He also fancies himself an “Iron Chef,” particularly with any cooking that involves the grill.

Dr. Carlos Gomez Meade ’01 (Medicine)

Carlos Gomez-Meade is originally from Brownsville, Texas. After graduating with his bachelor’s degree from Notre Dame he returned to Texas for his medical degree. After medical school, he completed two residencies and a surgical fellowship in Florida and now practices as a skin cancer and reconstructive surgeon and specializes in cutaneous oncology for an oncology group in Tulsa, Oklahoma where he lives with his wife and three children. Carlos was elected to the Hispanic Alumni Board of ND in 2023 and serves as Director of Alumni Relations.

Kelly Rivera Salazar ’00 (Law)

Kelly Salazar holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Sociology from the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, where she made the Dean’s Honor List and led the cheerleading team as captain. She later earned her Doctor of Jurisprudence from Baylor Law School in Waco, Texas in 2003, where she also made the Dean’s Honor List and was a member of the ATLA Mock Trial Team and the Harvey M. Richey Moot Court Society.

Ms. Salazar has been licensed by the State of Texas since 2003 and presently serves as president of the Hidalgo County Bar Association and president-elect of the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce. She also serves on the City of Edinburg Landfill Advisory Board of Directors. She was elected and served as Hidalgo County Democratic Party Chair from 2012 to 2014.

Prior to joining Linebarger in 2012, Ms. Salazar was a sole practitioner, focusing on the areas of criminal, family, and personal injury law. As a capital partner at Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP, Ms. Salazar’s legal practice focuses on the collection of government receivables for counties, cities, and school districts.

Ms. Salazar is a native of the Rio Grande Valley and is an avid runner. She is married to Gerardo Salazar and they have two daughters, Stella Isla and Sloan Delmar.

For more information visit the event website.

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