Brianna Gutiérrez (she/her/ella) is thrilled to join La Casa Cultural de Julia de Burgos as the new Assistant Director. A New Jersey native and the daughter of a Peruvian father and Jewish mother, Brianna’s identity has been shaped by her intercultural upbringing and lived experiences as a first-generation, low-income college graduate. These experiences fuel her deep commitment to supporting students with empathy, authenticity, care, and intention. She holds a BA in Gender, Sexuality & Women’s Studies and Spanish & Hispanic Studies from Union College and an MA in Hispanic Cultural Studies from Columbia University.
Brianna brings seven years of experience in higher education, with a focus on equity-driven student engagement, program management, and career development. Most recently, she served as the Associate Director of Experiential Education at Columbia University, where she led internship and mentorship programs that supported over 9,000 undergraduates. In that role, she facilitated professional development workshops, oversaw cross-functional teams, provided one-on-one advising, and integrated DEI frameworks into program design. Additionally, she served on Columbia’s Queer and Trans Resource Team, where she developed career programs and initiatives specifically for LGBTQIA+ students.
Brianna is driven by a deep mission to uplift and advocate for the Latine community through culturally responsive support, intentional programming, and by creating spaces grounded in joy, healing, and collective care. She brings her skills in program management, student engagement, collaboration, and relationship-building to La Casa, with the goal of bridging her professional expertise and lived experience to help cultivate an affirming, empowering comunidad en La Casa.
What is your current role at Yale University?
I’m the Assistant Director of La Casa Cultural de Julia de Burgos, Yale’s Latino Cultural Center. I started this past August, and it still feels surreal to walk into a space that holds so much history, love, and community.
What are your main responsibilities?
I co-manage La Casa alongside Dean Dávila, overseeing student programming and events, student staff, community partnerships, and finances. I also handle many of the behind-the-scenes logistics that keep our center running, everything from facilities and displays to operations and advising our La Casa student organizations. One of my favorite parts of the job is mentoring and supporting our incredible student coordinators and org leaders.
What do you like most about your work?
The students. They bring so much creativity, humor, and corazón to everything they do. Being able to support their ideas and help them see their own leadership and brilliance reflected back, is something I never take for granted. I also love that La Casa is both a cultural home and a launching pad. Every day looks a little different, and I get to build community while also growing alongside it.
How does your job affect your general lifestyle?
My days are definitely full, in the best way! Working in student life means embracing flexibility, late-night and weekend events, and lots of cafecito. It’s also reminded me to prioritize balance: setting boundaries, taking walks around campus, and finding joy in the small moments between programs.
How did you begin your career?
My path began with a deep love for helping people and storytelling. During undergrad, I double-majored in Gender, Sexuality & Women’s Studies and Spanish, and worked in admissions as a tour guide and later as an admissions interviewer intern, roles that taught me the power of representation and the importance of making students feel seen and heard. After earning my Master’s in Hispanic Cultural Studies, I thought I might pursue a Ph.D., but my passion for advising and community work pulled me in a different direction. I’ve now spent seven years working in career education and student engagement, helping students navigate their professional journeys, and eventually found my way to cultural centers, which truly feel like home. It’s been a full-circle moment to bring all those experiences together at La Casa, a space rooted in culture, identity, and belonging.
What steps would you recommend one take to prepare to enter this field?
Get curious and say yes to opportunities that let you connect with people, whether that’s mentoring, volunteering, or planning events. Higher education is really about relationships and showing up with care. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or seek out mentors who see your potential before you do. And if you can, learn to balance the creative and the administrative sides of the work — both matter so much more than people realize!
What skills, abilities, and personal attributes are essential to success in your job/this field?
Empathy, communication, and adaptability. You have to be able to listen deeply, pivot gracefully, and care genuinely. I’d also add storytelling, being able to uplift your community’s wins and honor its challenges through words, design, and programming. And, of course, a good relationship with spreadsheets never hurts.
If you could do it all over again, would you choose the same path for yourself? If not, what would you change?
I would choose the same path for myself, wholeheartedly. There were moments when rejection or uncertainty made me question my direction, but every “no” really rerouted me toward something that aligned better. If anything, I’d tell my younger self to trust the process sooner and stop rushing to have it all figured out.
What does YLNG mean to you and how have you contributed as a member?
To me, YLNG represents connection and visibility, a network where we can uplift one another, share opportunities, and build community across departments and disciplines. It’s a space that reminds us that our stories and perspectives matter here at Yale. As a newer member, I’m excited to engage more intentionally this year through collaborations and by finding ways to connect La Casa’s work with YLNG’s broader mission of professional and cultural empowerment.