Lizette Padilla (she/they) is a 2023 Summer Arts Bookstore Intern. They have been supporting Tia Chucha’s since its last location in the Sylmar Plaza, where she was initially drawn by the Centro’s support for social and transformative justice, and the artistic and culturally based environment that Tia Chucha’s provides for the SFV community. Lizette was born and raised in Southeast LA and moved to the San Fernando Valley in 2017, which she calls her home now because of the connection she developed with the people here. Lizette is a Gender and Women’s Studies major and Chicane Studies minor at Cal State Northridge, where she has gained consciousness and a passion for feminist theories. Lizette’s Gender Studies Senior research project focused on “Decolonization as a Liberatory Practice: Eradicating Indigenous Feminicidio en Mexico”. They want to continue their work in community and organizations that advocate for LGBTQ+ and Women’s rights, and making safe communal spaces for Black, Indigenous, and people of color. When at leisure, she enjoys creating art in various ways, hugging or planting a tree with the organization, TreePeople, spiritually connecting through nature on hikes or beach days, making matcha runs, and admiring the art + love of cooking.