International Student Advisors
The International Student Advisors are your main point of contact once you have arrived to UTRGV. The advisors, also known as designated school officials (DSO’s) will guide you with any questions regarding your student visa and provide you advisement regarding CPT and OPT opportunities. Our goal at the International Admissions and Student Services is to provide you with up-to-date information regarding non-immigrant status. You can also find the advisors supporting our international students by attending university functions.
Advisor by Last Names: M-Z
- BLANCA LEYVA, DSO
-
International Student Advisor
Blanca Nellie Leyva, mainly known as Nellie, is the International Student Advisor in the Brownsville campus. She has over ten years of progressive experience in the undergraduate college admission and enrollment process through employment with UTB/TSC, and now The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Nellie received her Bachelor of Arts in Applied Science with a concentration in Early Childhood Education and Educational Technology in May 2016. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Early Childhood at UTRGV.
Her hobbies include spending time with her family, such as baking Pinterest recipes with her 8 year old daughter and going on dates with her husband. She is known for traveling every other weekend to Monterrey, Mexico or to Houston, Texas to visit her extended family. She also has a passion for motivational books and quotes and has a huge collection to inspire any occasion.
- Email:
- blanca.leyva01@utrgv.edu
- Phone:
- (956) 882-7983
Advisor by Last Names: A-L
- Ashley Alvarado, MS, DSO
-
International Student Advisor
Jessica Alvarado is an International Student Advisor on the Edinburg Campus. She has over 3 years of experience with the office of strategic enrollment with both The University of Texas- Pan American and The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Jessica received her Bachelors of Rehabilitation Services with a concentration in Addiction Studies from UTRGV in December of 2015. She graduated from her Masters of Library Studies from Texas Woman’s University in 2020. Her professional interest is to help grow the mission of the University by serving the students who are planning to, or currently attend. UTRGV. Her hobbies are reading, watching movies, and spending time with her family.
- Email:
- jessica.alvarado01@utrgv.edu
- Phone:
- (956) 665-3234
