Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I'm a Venezuelan cat lady that loves hiking, yoga, food, and being out in nature. I have a background in public health from UNCA and have worked in the non-profit sector for over 4 years. At the YWCA, I was the program coordinator for Salsa, Sabor, y Salud, a Spanish program that educates Latinx families on the importance of good nutrition and physical activities to reduce negative health outcomes. I bring the knowledge I learned in school and through my work experiences to infuse into the work I do with United Way.
Give us a glimpse into your role at United Way. How do you help us fulfill our mission? What are you most excited about accomplishing as a team?
As a Community School Coordinator in a highly diverse school in Asheville (42% are students of color!), I aim to make connections with students, families, school staff, and community partners to help build a bridge between families and resources and build community trust to help students and their families, despite the social determinants of health that may be working against them, have a more equitable chance at being successful citizens of our community.
What’s your favorite thing about our community?
How friendly everyone is. How during tough times, we all come together to help support one another. It's the one beautiful thing I see happening during these tough times.
What would we find you doing when you aren't at work?
Doing something outside, yoga, petting my kitties, going to concerts, hanging out with friends
Do you have any podcast, book, music or movie recommendations?
The Daily from the New York Times is great podcast to keep up with current events.
Tell us about any committees or associations you are a part of and/or awards/recognitions you’ve received.
I'm part of our school's Small Data Team, which convenes to create agendas using Early Warning and Response System to discuss students with 1 or more indicators, Erwin Middle Resource Team, Early Warning and Response Workgroup, Diversity Committee, Restorative Practice team, MTSS team, etc.
