Nelly Mercado Salas 

Hometown: Austin, Texas
School: KIPP Austin Collegiate 

Nelly Mercado Salas is the oldest daughter of Mexican-born parents and a mentor for her younger sister. She was born in Holland, Michigan, but since the age of one, she has lived in Austin, Texas. In school, Nelly is involved in the Hispanic Honors Society and is the youngest member of the Journalism Editor team. From a young age, she has worked to assist the Hispanic community and aspires to contribute progressive ideas. For this reason, Nelly plans to major in political science. From NextGen, she has learned that being a Hispanic yields power and has advantages that lead to success. This trip continues to be a motivation for Nelly to take advantage of opportunities outside of her community.