I am very excited to be an incoming member of the ADCOLOR team as an intern this summer! D.E.I advocacy has always been very important to me because of what I learned from my experiences as a Bronx native, a queer person and through my Puerto Rican heritage. During my time in college, I have put efforts to help other students who are in need of acknowledgment of their identity, and receive the tools to continue their educational journey in safe and inclusive ways. I joined the D.E.I committee to continue their efforts for D.E.I integration in their educational system. One prime example of those efforts were the installation of gender neutral bathrooms in the campus’ “Founder’s Hall”. While there is still a lot of work to be done for all educational institutions, the passion for implementing D.E.I for minority youths in these systems are fresh and formidable.

Being a Bronx native, I have learned first-hand and empathize with those who endure struggles in communities that lack resources for the majority of Bronx families. Experiencing it as a child in a single parent household, the endurance it takes for parents in low-income/middle class communities inspired me to help those in need especially our youth. I have represented my former college’s TRIO program and assisted students in low-income households by amplifying their voices. Another example, in our recent constructed town hall, my student-leadership and participating with the committee was an important tool to serve for those who feel voiceless and lost in environments that hurt or ignore their existence.

Living in our current society as a queer person speaks volumes on why I work for D.E.I. Queer people, specifically POC individuals have and are still under attack through pressuring legislation and rhetoric that dehumanizes us. My passion and testimony as a resilient queer student leader ignites a necessary fire of activism and allyship for many others in need. It takes more than idea to help these overlooked communities but it’s the empathy we as humans have to share in order to recognize what our mission is in this world.

I know as leaders it’s important to balance out the service we have for others and for ourselves, and I’ve learned that we have to put favor into our lives in order to continue putting other lives in favor. When I am not working on D.E.I based projects, I take time for rejuvenation by meditating, going to the gym, and journaling. I also love going to the movies with my mom, discovering new music and expanding my knowledge about the music industry. I take joy in exercising art, whether it is creative writing, modeling and such. I also enjoy going to art museums and galleries to help inspire and educate myself within queer inspired artistry.