Arrival

What started as a trip to Reno for a wedding would ultimately change the course of Javier Leija Meza's life. After returning to Tijuana, Mexico to finish his degree in mass communication, he made the decision to come back to Northern Nevada to learn English. More than a decade later, Reno has become much more than a place to live. It is where he found community, met his husband, Dan, and built a career dedicated to serving others.

Leija Meza returned to Reno one year after his first visit and began learning English through the free classes offered at Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC). The coursework provided a strong foundation, but Javier felt he needed to apply what he had learned in a real-world setting. That is how he ended up in the gaming industry, where he began building a career in the United States. 

Raised in a close-knit family in Mexico, Leija Meza learned early the importance of community, service and creating opportunities for others. Those values eventually inspired him to leave the gaming industry and pursue work where he could make a more direct impact, particularly with young people and the Hispanic community.

Building bridges at the College of Science

Earlier this year, Leija Meza joined the University of Nevada, Reno College of Science as an events coordinator, a role that has allowed him to put his values directly into practice. He has worked to make programs and events more accessible to Spanish-speaking audiences, advocating for event materials to be translated into Spanish, collaborating with museums throughout the Reno area to provide Spanish-language exhibition materials and partnering with Spanish-language radio stations to share information about upcoming exhibits and events. Through these efforts, he hopes to help more members of the Hispanic community see themselves represented and welcomed in science-related spaces.

“A lot of community members miss out on the opportunity of finding these impactful free events due to the language barrier, which creates a lack of awareness. I just want them to be aware of these opportunities,” he said.

His commitment to building belonging and inclusion is celebrated by the College of Science.

"Since joining the College of Science, Javi has been a phenomenal asset to the team," College of Science Dean Louisa Hope-Weeks said. "He brings energy and fun to every event he is part of, and makes everyone feel welcome and engaged."

Moving with confidence: A decade of Zumba

Long before joining the College of Science, Leija Meza had already been making his mark on the Wolf Pack community through Zumba. He and his husband have been teaching classes at the campus fitness center and in the greater community for over a decade. This passion began with a single invitation from a friend. 

“My friend invited me for a Zumba class here in town. I went, and I fell in love, and I have been teaching Zumba alongside my husband for over 10 years now,” he said.

The excitement in Leija Meza’s voice is unmistakable when he speaks about how much being a Zumba instructor means to him. For Leija Meza, the classroom is not just about movement; it is about building confidence that students carry with them long after the music stops.

“I want you to build confidence. You should take those feelings outside of the classroom to the world, because you just did that,” he said. “Maybe it was your first time, and maybe a lot of things outside the class aren’t giving you enough confidence but always remember: you can do anything and you are powerful enough to do whatever you want and try new things. Even if Zumba isn’t your thing, take the courage of trying it into finding whatever gives you that confidence.” 

Bringing his whole self to the Wolf Pack 

Another defining dimension of Leija Meza is La Chonta, his drag persona. A Spanish-speaking, fun-loving, fiercely confident character, La Chonta draws inspiration from all the women he grew up around. Through La Chonta, he feels like he can authentically bring out his Mexican side, through language, dance, music, mannerisms and personality. This year Leija Meza brought La Chonta to the Northern Nevada Pride parade and festival, representing the University. He describes the event with deep emotion.

“(It was) an experience I will never forget. I have never felt so accepted, so loved by my organization,” Leija Meza said.

Heritage is not a month, it’s a way of life

When asked about celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, Leija Meza says he appreciates the dedicated recognition, but for him, sharing his culture is something he does all year long. Whether he is making events more accessible to the Spanish speakers across Northern Nevada, leading a Zumba class to make people feel more confident in themselves and their abilities, or stepping into La Chonta’s shoes to create space for others to feel seen, Javier Leija Meza is always celebrating who he is and where he’s from. Because as he will tell you, his heritage is not just something he carries. It is everything that makes him who he is today, and it is found in everything he gives back to this community he calls home.

Find your community 

At the heart of everything Leija Meza does is a belief that everyone deserves to feel like they belong and find their community. The University has a few good places to start.

• Faculty and staff interested in connecting with others on campus are encouraged to explore one of the many Affinity Groups supported by the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
• Students looking for peer networks and community can check out the multitude of clubs and events on campus on Lounge.
• Interested in joining one of Javier’s Zumba classes? Drop-in classes can be found on the E. L. Wiegand Fitness Center drop-in class schedule.