New CATIE Student Council assumes leadership for the 2026–2027 term

• The handover ceremony marks the beginning of a new phase of representation and collaborative work.

In an atmosphere of formality and enthusiasm, the CATIE Graduate School (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) held the official handover ceremony of the Student Council on April 29.

The event was presided over by the Dean of the Graduate School, Alfredo Zamarripa, who delivered welcome remarks and highlighted the importance of student participation as a cornerstone of university life. Members of the outgoing Student Council were also present, led by treasurer Jenniffer González, along with José Pablo Martínez, comptroller.    

“This moment reminds us of the excitement with which we began our journey as a Student Council a year ago, and also represents a special opportunity to pass on that same mission and commitment to those who today take on this new challenge,” stated the treasurer.

The central moment of the ceremony was the swearing-in of the new Student Council, led by Dean Zamarripa, who conducted the formal act in which each new member assumed their commitment to the CATIE student community.

“I would like to take this opportunity to call on the Student Council: it is essential that you remain united and strengthen your sense of brotherhood. If you do not support your own representatives, you risk stagnating as a collective. Do not forget that your main objective is to grow as students, but also to firmly defend your role within the institution. As Salvador Allende stated: ‘To be young and not be revolutionary is a contradiction,’” emphasized the dean.

The 2026–2027 Student Council is composed of:

• Flavia Mikaela Franco Jiménez, President
• Bianca de Aráujo Ortiz, Vice President
• Cintya Maziel Suazo Gonzales, General Secretary
• Jazmin Alexandra Cabrera Gustin, Treasurer
• Claritssa Francis Grullon Peña, Academic Affairs Representative
• Juan David Molina Sierra, Professional Affairs Representative
• Edgar Saul Pop Yat, Culture and Relations Representative
• Oscar Leonel Chavez Viera, Sports and Recreation Representative
• Delia Dixiana Molina Martinez, Student Life Representative
• Nadia Dorado, Environmental Representative
• Laura Montezuma Montezuma, Communications Representative
• Dariani Luz Martínez Sánchez, Comptroller

Following the swearing-in, the new president, Flavia Mikaela Franco Jiménez, delivered remarks reaffirming the commitment of the new team to the well-being and active representation of students before the Graduate School and the broader institutional community.

“As president, I take on this appointment not only as a personal distinction, but as an opportunity to serve, to be a voice that represents us, and to work together to strengthen our student community,” expressed the new president.

The event symbolized not only a transition of leadership, but also the continuity of the spirit of collaboration, diversity, and representation that characterizes CATIE’s student body. The ceremony also included a heartfelt recognition of Dean Dr. Zamarripa, to whom students of the 2025–2026 cohort expressed their gratitude for his dedication and the leadership with which he supported their academic journey at CATIE.