At McKay, Lupita ran on the Cross Country and Track teams, brought back French Club with one of her classmates, and served as ASB Secretary her senior year. Of all the courses she took, she particularly enjoyed the 4 years of French with Mrs. Sparks, and AP European History with Mr. Evers. She worked very hard during the summertime and throughout the school years to fund a trip to France (with Mrs. Sparks and a group of her French classmates) upon graduating in 2008. She then went on to pursue her undergraduate degree at the University of Portland with the support of the Gates Millennium Scholars Program.

At the University of Portland, Lupita had majors in Psychology, French, and Spanish, with a minor in Neuroscience. She studied abroad in Granada, Spain and Nantes, France during two semesters. Upon graduating, she lived in Quito, Ecuador, where she taught English and spent time applying to graduate schools. In 2014, she started her Masters in Latin American Studies at the University of California, San Diego, where she researched political participation in rural Mexico.

Lupita attributes her success today to her interdisciplinary background. Her love for languages, experience living and working internationally, and skills learned from years of working in non-profits have made it easy for her to adapt to many work spaces. Currently, she coordinates an education resource program for the Consulate of México in Portland, and is the Director of Institutional Development at SembraMedia, an organization that supports independent journalism in Latin America.