I am a multicultural emerging clinician and mixed-heritage Latina whose family story shaped my commitment to culturally attuned care. As a teen, I navigated addiction, mental illness, and cultural silence, and I rarely encountered mental health support that reflected my identity or realities. That absence became purpose: to become the therapist I once needed and to help make care feel accessible, safe, and truly seen. Before entering this field, I spent two decades in nonfiction television, writing and producing projects including Intervention. That work trained me to listen closely, hold nuance, and honor people in vulnerable moments without judgment. Returning to graduate school later in life has been one of the most meaningful decisions I have made, because it lets me turn storytelling into direct service. Today, I am earning my Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy at The Chicago School (formally known as The Chicago School of Professional Psychology) in Los Angeles and am a 2025–2026 AAMFT Minority Fellowship Program–Youth recipient. My training centers on trauma-informed care, family systems, addiction recovery, and culturally responsive therapy for youth and families impacted by inequity. Long term, I plan to earn my PsyD, open a nonprofit expanding access to affordable, identity-affirming mental health care, and mentor future clinicians who reflect the communities they serve.