Papi & Mamita Memorial Scholarship

Twenty-four years ago, I was a slave, held captive just five miles from the University campus I attend today. As a young naïve girl, desperate for love and acceptance, I fell victim to the unforgiving streets of South LA. At fourteen years old, a 45-year-old woman became my trafficker. What followed was the complete mental and emotional destruction of everything I knew to be true. My self-worth and value were the most affected. Kept under lock and key, forcibly drugged on a daily basis, denied food, water, and showers. I was given a new identity complete with a new name and birthdate. For the next ten months, I was bought and sold to the highest bidder for sex. The lies she told me had become my personal truth and they kept me in bondage even when the door was wide open for me to free myself. After a terrifying escape, I shamefully fell into the shadows of LA's forgotten children community. A runaway, drug addict, juvenile delinquent, and lost soul. I spent my teenage years in survival mode and angry with the world for my misfortune. I bounced around from foster homes, juvenile halls, and group homes. Eventually, I stopped going to school. I lost my faith in humanity after seeing and experiencing unimaginable suffering at the hands of traffickers and buyers. Once I turned eighteen and exited the foster system, again a victim. I was trafficked through strip clubs until I was twenty-one. Many near-death experiences brought me to a ledge. A second escape from a ruthless underground world saved my life. At twenty-one, I picked up the pieces and attempted to rebuild. I didn't want to be a victim anymore, and I fought tooth and nail to drop that identity. I started from nothing, learning life skills, job skills, self-control, independence, and responsibility. I went back to school to get my high school diploma and enrolled in junior college. Rebuilding was challenging. On most days, I felt defeated. I decided to attend therapy and go through the process of unpacking and grieving all that had been holding me captive. The adversity I endured kept me in bondage for years until I chose to fight for my life and future. Choosing forgiveness and healing changed my family tree. It gave my children the healthy, thriving mother they deserve; it gave me back my life, it birthed purpose and calling, it set me free. Currently, I'm a Survivor Advocate at ZOE International. This organization works in rescue and restoration for foster youth in Los Angeles that have been victims of sex trafficking or are current victims of trafficking and exploitation. I'm also a speaker and trainer at The Power Project, an organization focused on prevention and awareness of human trafficking. At both organizations I am the only Latinx leader that hosts workshops and trainings in Spanish as a bridge for our Latinx, at-risk, and vulnerable communities to be educated and empowered. It is my dream of being a Social Worker in the city of Los Angeles, and being a woman who brings value, leadership, and healing to our city, that gives me such a zest for life. My long-term goal is to attend graduate school and attain an LCSW degree with the end goal of private practice specializing in sexual trauma, sexual abuse, trafficking, and exploitation. I'm passionate about helping survivors thrive and find a healthy life after suffering. They must know that there is hope and healing at their fingertips. My desire is to make an impact as I go into the darkness and lead others to light.