PUENTE Lab

05/29/2026

🌉 Introducing the PUENTE Lab Mental Health Toolkit v4.0 Available Now!
https://tinyurl.com/PUENTEToolkitOverview

What if conversations about mental health felt more approachable, interactive, and connected to the experiences of our communities?
Designed for families, educators, providers, and community members, the toolkit offers engaging tools and activities that support more informed, meaningful, and accessible conversations about mental health.

Grounded in research and shaped by community voices, the Mental Health Toolkit helps people learn, reflect, and engage with mental health in ways that feel relevant, practical, and empowering.
🌐 Spanish version coming soon!

Inside the toolkit, you'll find 👇🏽
😊 Emotion Chart activity that helps people identify, understand, and communicate their feelings
🌎 Strengths of Our Community activity, where families can explore their strengths and reflect on the qualities that help them thrive
💌 Letters to Myself reflections created by Celestino Melchor that encourage self-reflection, personal growth, and self-compassion
🎬 Interactive Victor Luna series activities inspired by his story that encourage reflection, emotional expression, and connection
🎙️ PUENTE Lab Podcast episodes featuring conversations about mental health, stigma, help-seeking, and community experiences
Mental health conversations are stronger when they reflect our experiences, our strengths, and our stories.

💻 Learn more at https://puentelab.com/
▶️ Check out our YouTube Channel https://tinyurl.com/PUENTElabYoutube
📸 Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/puente.lab/
📲 Save this post and share it with your community

05/28/2026

From lab meetings, deadlines, data collection, conferences, coffee runs, and countless memories… they made it 🎓✨

Congratulations to the newest graduates of the P.U.E.N.T.E Lab!
🎓 Julianna Martín
🎓 Katrina Hill
🎓 Melanie Menendez
🎓 Ésai Antonio García
🎓 Nelly Romero

We’re so proud of everything this team has accomplished, not only as students and researchers, but as people committed to uplifting mental health equity and serving our communities. Thank you for the laughs, support, whimsy, resilience, and hard work along the way.

The degrees were earned, but the impact is only beginning 💙

05/05/2026

WPA 2026 🎓✨

Our second year grad students of PUENTE Lab presented at this year’s Western Psychological Association Convention in Tacoma, WA 👏🏽

Huge shoutout to our presenters:

🧾 Melanie Menendez – Poster Presentation
🧠 Ethnic Identity as a Protective Factor in the Association between Ethnic Discrimination and Internalizing Symptoms among College Students at a Hispanic Serving Institution
(Co-authors: Julianna Martin & Dr. Jonathan Martinez)

🎤 Julianna Martin – Oral Presentation
🧠 Gender Differences in Coping as a Moderator of the Association between Acculturative Stress and Internalizing Symptoms for College Students at a Hispanic Serving Institution
(Co-authors: Melanie Menendez & Dr. Jonathan Martinez)

So proud of our students for contributing to research that centers and uplifts the mental health of Latinx college students 🤍

04/28/2026

Celebrating innovative research at the CIRI conference 🧠✨

PUENTE Lab was proud to present at the 2026 CIRI Conference, highlighting work on discrimination, resilience, mindfulness, and mental health among Latinx college students. 💛

HealthEquity

04/28/2026

CSUNposium 2026 🎓✨

So proud of the PUENTE Lab and to see our team show up and show OUT this year 👏🏽

Huge shoutout to our presenters:

🎤 Katherine Jimenez – 10-minute oral presentation
🧠 Resiliency as a Moderator of the Association Between Perceived Ethnic Discrimination and Internalizing and Physical Health Symptoms Among Second-Generation Mexican American College Students
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jonathan Martinez
(Co-authors: Julianna Martin & Melanie Menendez)

🏆🎤 Katrina Hill – 10-minute oral presentation (First Place)
🧠 Deepening Our Understanding of Self-Compassion: Psychometric Properties of the Self-Compassion Scale
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Andrew Ainsworth

🏆🧾 Ésai Antonio García – Poster Presentation (First Place)
🧠 Self and Public Stigma as Predictors of Latinx College Students’ Intentions to Pursue Graduate Training in Psychology
(Co-authors: Katherine Jimenez & Sophia Bradner)
Faculty Mentors: Dr. Bianca Villalobos & Dr. Juventino Hernandez Rodriguez


🧾 Jose Calvillo – Poster Presentation
🧠 Developing an Ethical and Applied AI-Integrated Curriculum in Health Administration: Imposter Syndrome, Professional Confidence, and Public Scholarship
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Carmen T. Saunders-Russell

Grateful to be surrounded by brilliant, passionate researchers committed to advancing mental health in our communities 🤍

04/06/2026

🚨 Now Live! 🎙️✨
The newest PUENTE Lab Podcast episode is officially out — and this conversation brings depth, honesty, and real perspective with Fernando Jaramillo, a real estate professional and Dr. Jonathan Martinez’s cousin. 🧠💬

✨ In this episode:
• 🧠 Mental health through an entrepreneur lens — how identity and lived experience shape understanding
• 💬 Honest dialogue around stigma, expectations, and speaking up
• 🎯 A real moment unpacking the pressure to “handle things on your own” vs. reaching out for support
• 🔍 A deeper look at how these messages show up in everyday life — in families, communities, and the way we make sense of mental health

🌉 This episode continues our mission of highlighting community voices and making mental health conversations more accessible.

🎧 Listen on Spotify:
👉 https://tinyurl.com/spotifyPLFernandoJaramillo
📺 Watch now on YouTube:
👉 https://tinyurl.com/puentelabFernandoJaramillo

💬 Share with your community & be part of the conversation!

Welcome to PUENTE Lab, a podcast where we talk about mental health!Fernando Jaramillo is a real estate professional and member of the community.zillow.com/pr...

04/02/2026

👀 Sneak Peek! 🎙️✨
Catch this quick preview from our upcoming PUENTE Lab Podcast episode — and this moment is personal 💬🧠 In this episode, we sit down with Fernando Jaramillo, real estate investor and Dr. Jonathan Martinez’s cousin.

🔍 In this clip:
• 💬 A candid reflection on what it actually feels like to navigate mental health in your community
• 🧠 The tension between how we’re taught to “handle things” vs. finding appropriate help
• 🤝 The challenges of navigating school vs our development milestones

✨ This episode is the kind of conversation that challenges silence and opens doors 🌉💛

🎧 Full episode dropping soon
👀 Watch this space — you won’t want to miss the full conversation

03/30/2026

🚨 Coming Soon! 🎙️✨
A new PUENTE Lab Podcast episode is on the way — In this special episode, Dr. Jonathan Martinez sits down with his cousin and real estate investor, Fernando Jaramillo, for a frank discussion on mental health through a business lens.

🌱 What to expect:
• 🧠 A deep dive into the need for awareness, grit, and choosing your definition of success
• 💬 Real conversations about stigma, ADHD, and help-seeking
• 🤝 The importance of self-exploration, connection, and mindfulness
• 🌉 Voices that reflect and uplift underserved and non-traditional pathways

✨ This episode continues our mission of bridging community, success, and care — making mental health more accessible for all 💛

📅 Dropping soon on YouTube & podcast platforms

👀 Stay tuned & turn on notifications so you don’t miss it!

03/09/2026

🌟 Now Live Alert! 🎧
Dive into Episode 107 of the PUENTE Lab Podcast with Dr. Jonathan Martinez and special guest and colleague Dr. Bianca Villalobos — uncovering her insights on psychology, community, and mental health care 🧠💬!

✨ What’s in this episode:
• 🎙️ Guest Spotlight: Meet Dr. Bianca Villalobos — Associate Professor, CO-Director of the Salud Research lab (), and psychology expert sharing lived experience and research-based insights 🧠

💡 Key topics covered: real-world strategies for emotional well-being, navigating stigma, and building supportive spaces 🌱
• 🧠 Mental health made accessible: honest conversation blending science, culture, and community stories 🔍
• 📣 Practical takeaways: tools to build awareness, self-care habits, and stronger supports for yourself and loved ones 💛

📺 Watch, learn, and share:
👉 Watch on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/puentelabBiancaVillalobos
👉 Listen on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/spotifyPLBiancaVillalobos

💬 Whether you’re a student, parent, provider, or community member — this episode brings wisdom you won’t want to miss 🙌 🧠

Welcome to PUENTE Lab, a podcast where we talk about mental health!Dr. Bianca Villalobos is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Califor...

03/05/2026

👀 Sneak Peek! 🎙️✨

We’re giving you a preview of our upcoming PUENTE Lab Podcast episode — and this conversation goes deep 💬🧠 In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Bianca Villalobos, an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at CSUN and co-director of the Salud lab ().

🔍 A glimpse of topics discussed:

• 🧠 Real talk about mental health through culture & lived experience

• 🌱 Reflections on navigating psychology as a bilingual / underrepresented voice

• 💬 Conversations that challenge stigma and normalize asking for support

• 🤝 Why trust, representation, and community matter in care

✨ This episode reminds us that mental health isn’t just clinical — it’s personal, cultural, and relational 🌉💛

🎧 Full episode coming soon, Monday March 9th

📺 Stay tuned for the drop ✨