HEO Spotlight

Background & Career Journey:

• Zinnia was born in Brooklyn and raised in Puerto Rico from 1985.
• She holds a bachelor’s degree in Geology and a master’s in Public Policy and Administration from John Jay College (graduated magna cum laude).
• Began her career with internships at the NYC Council and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), where she worked for 7 years under multiple commissioners.
• Joined Hunter College as Assistant to the Dean of the School of Nursing and is now the Finance Coordinator.
• She has been with Hunter for 10 years.

Motivation & Values:

• Zinnia is drawn to administrative work due to her love for structure and organization.
• She values the sense of community, collaboration, and being part of students’ educational journeys.
• Her advice to fellow HEOs: “Stick to it”—the work can be tedious, but it’s rewarding and essential to keeping the institution running.

Fun Fact:

Zinnia is a self-described geek and avid collector. Her interests include comic books, sci-fi, fantasy, K-dramas, C-dramas, Japanese animation, and a wide range of books.