“Reyna Grande presented a moving and heartfelt keynote address to our graduating class of community college students. Her story resonated and left a lasting impression. I appreciated that she had her speech written and ready to go days ahead.” — Chaffey College, 2024

“Reyna was so comfortable around all audiences. She patiently answered all the questions, even questions she had already answered. In telling her story and her process for writing books, she made our students feel like their own dreams and goals are achievable. Reyna was easy to talk to and made all our students and guests feel at ease. Her book, A Dream Called Home has been so inspirational for so many of our students. Watching them get so excited to meet the person in the story that made them feel a little less alone on their educational journey is in my top five moments as an educator.” — Concordia University, 2021

“My favorite part of the program was when she spoke about the borders she had to cross after she crossed into the US. She spoke about legal barriers, language barriers, and stigma. All of these metaphorical borders are arguably harder to cross for some than a physical border. She also spoke about her culture and assimilation. For me, it is difficult sometimes to feel a connection to my Hispanic side since I have lived here so long and my native language is more difficult to speak than English, so this was appreciated. I was struck by how similar our lives have been, and how despite that our perspectives and experiences have been so different. I have read and enjoyed Reynas’ books in the past, but she is also a fantastic speaker. She told us about her experiences with passion and authenticity, which allowed me to relate to her. Reynas’ work is important because it allows readers a small window into the lives of many people like her whom she writes to inspire and represent.” — North Central Library, 2021

“Reyna Grande is an inspirational speaker who lets you into her heart and her story. She is not afraid to talk about immigration not only as policy, but as a real thing that affects many lives. She is candid and honest, and makes you feel as if you know her. She really brings the human side to the immigration crisis.” — John Carroll University, 2021

“Reyna Grande’s personal experiences resonate with those of our students who find her presentations interesting, inspirational, and heartwarming. She is an incredible role model not only for Latinos whose culture and language she affirms, but also for non-Latino students whose hardships and journeys have been similar to hers. Her books make excellent course texts because of their universal themes and accessibility; and when students have an opportunity to meet and hear this author, they become even more significant and appealing. She is a powerful presenter.” — San Diego City College

“Reyna Grande is the kind of writer and speaker that stays with audiences even after they have read her novels or attended one of her readings. Many of the students had never met a real author before, most had never met a writer with whom they could also identify on multiple levels. Their encounter was truly memorable for all of who attended [her] reading and discussion! Three years after that summer [2007], my former students still check-in with me and ask about Reyna. It’s clear to me that Reyna’s stories, both written and shared in person, linger in our minds because they are about ideas, feelings and situations we can all identity with at one point or another in our lives.” — University of Southern California