Iris Lopez, the founder and executive director of El Paso’s “Mija, Yes You Can”, a non-profit organization, will be the inaugural presenter for Sul Ross State University’s “Voices en la Frontera” speaker series.
Lopez will make two presentations on Friday, April 19, at the Espino Conference Center at the Morgan University Center on the SRSU campus in Alpine.
She will speak first at 2 p.m. with a focus on area high school and Sul Ross students, though all are welcome. Her second presentation at 6 p.m. is also open to the public. Both events are free, and the evening engagement will be followed by a reception on the mezzanine of the University Center.
Lopez was born and raised in El Paso and graduated from UTEP with a degree in Multimedia Journalism.
She began her broadcasting career in radio as “Lily Lopez” on 104.3 HIT FM in El Paso. She then made the move to television news where she was a reporter and weekend evening weather anchor for KVIA-TV, and the creator of the on-air franchise, “KVIA Sunday Funday Moments.” She currently works as a digital content creator and morning show co-host for “Iris & Grizz in the Mornings” on 93.1 KISS-FM radio in El Paso.
Lopez served as a board member for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI El Paso) and was named the 2022 recipient of the NAMI Texas Betty Fulenwider Media Award, given annually to an individual for accurately covering stories on mental health and sharing the successes in the field.
She was Montwood High School’s 2021 Outstanding Alumnus and was also awarded the Community Spirit Award for El Paso Community College’s 13th Annual Literary Fiesta. She was most recently named one of EPCC’s Hispanic Heritage Mentors by the Diversity and Inclusion program for her work within the community.
Lopez’ passion for empowering women was instilled in her at a young age by her parents, aunts and grandmothers. Her passion grew even stronger after the relationships she developed with other young female broadcasters who were struggling to find a voice in a male-dominated business.
“Mija, Yes You Can” aims to tell the stories of women of all ages who have achieved great things through obstacles big or small while providing a platform that allows women to encourage each other by sharing their stories with the world.
For more information, email Dr. Yvonne Realivasquez, vice president of Enrollment Management, at yrealivasquez@sulross.edu.
Photo: Iris Lopez