VOICES

by JENNY CALLISON | photo by MADELINE GRAY

Born in Peru but a resident of Wilmington since her early teens, EDELMIRA SEGOVIA uses her knowledge of both the Latino and the Anglo communities to advocate for equity and inclusion in two important arenas.

At the University of North Carolina Wilmington, she directs Centro Hispano, a student organization whose goal is to support the growing number of Hispanic students who apply to, attend, and complete degrees at the university. She also serves as vice chairwoman of the New Hanover Community Endowment, seeing her role as “adviser, encourager, and community advocate” as the fledgling fund explores its mission of making the county a place where all its residents can prosper.

“The roles I’ve held professionally and as a community member are largely influenced by my experience as an immigrant fleeing the country that I love but one that could no longer hold a safe place for our family,” Segovia says. “My parents fled Peru with three children in tow during the wave of terrorism in 1989. I was thirteen at the time, my sister was eleven, and my brother was seven.”

A family connection in town proved to be a lifeline.