My Story
Navigating two cultures
Pictured above, my mom, Rosa (Left) and myself (Right)
I grew up in Princeton, NJ while raised in a Guatemalan-Mexican household and am the youngest of five. As a daughter of immigrant parents, Spanish is my native language and I am proud the be the first in my family to earn both a bachelor’s and masters degree!
Family & community, thinking about the group instead of oneself are values that are emphasized in my family. Values that I respect and also experienced challenges with as a first-generation Latina-American.
Unlike collectivist cultures, I believe that the U.S. focuses more on individualism. I don’t say that to mean that the U.S. does not believe in or value family and community. Instead, I believe there is a greater emphasis on learning to becoming your own person and setting out on your own - values I understand and also respect.
Yet, when reflecting on my experiences and who I have become, I distinguish between growing up vs. raised in because throughout my life, I have had to navigate what oftentimes felt to me, two different worlds.
Community in education
While in high school, I was fortunate enough to participate in a college preparation program offered through Princeton University’s Teacher in Preparation Program.
I had learned from a young age to value what I have coming from a family of immigrants but my experience in this program is where I truly learned about privilege and the privileges I hold in relation to those around me.
Having met and made friends with my peers in this program, I not only learned but got to see the ways our experiences both in and outside of the classroom differed. This was my first exposure to the inequities that exist in education, let alone society. I wanted to take action. This was my call to contribute toward a cause greater than myself.
Referring back to my family’s values, building community has driven me to create and maintain a welcoming and familial space for the students I work with. For almost the past 8 years, I have served both high school and college students in preparation for, during and after college. I consider my work to be where I honor my family’s values while also encouraging and supporting my students in seizing opportunities and experiences beyond their imagination.
Always learning, always growing
Throughout my career, I have developed countless programs and services from the ground up including website management and marketing. Eager to continue my learning and create new pathways, I am currently partaking in two Google Certificate Programs - Program Management and UX/UI Design - and recently got certified as a Zumba instructor! During my free time, I enjoy getting lost in a good book, watching anime and spending time with my calico cat, Boa.
Pictured: Boa