Selflessness is an action that requires open eyes, an open mind, and an open heart. It is making a conscious effort to promote the success and happiness of others, as everyone is deserving of a selfless act. In this world of modernization and the constant need to think of self, we oftentimes lose site of some of the most human attributes that can assist with building a positive community such as compassion, empathy, and forgiveness. I currently have over eight years of experience in the customer service industry where I was able to educate consumers on holistic health and clean eating. It has brought an immense amount of joy to bring back this knowledge to my community made up of marginalized individuals who typically do not have access to this type of information. Making my way into a career in social services, I was exposed to diverse populations of displaced individuals who fell victim to homelessness in New York City, assisting them with the process of obtaining, and maintaining, permanent housing. Since then, it has been an honor to support some of our most vulnerable communities in need of resources and stability, including domestic violence victims, those incarcerated, and individuals struggling with mental health and substance abuse issues. These supervisory and social roles have allowed me to thrive in creating enlightening experiences for myself and others as well as implementing a respectable level of professionalism to maintain a positive environment. It is important to maintain a neutral composure in these fields which constantly tests one's ability to listen to their consumers, understand where your audience is coming from, and never take things personally. One of the greatest tools in becoming more selfless throughout my life has been the art of self-reflecting and showing gratitude. Unfortunately, as humans, we have accumulated a plethora of biases that could impact how we treat others whether it be from what we were taught or our own experiences. My career requires me to utilize skills that widen my perspectives and teach me to leave those biases at the door! I have learned that we all have our personal experiences that have shaped our perceptions of the world and because of this, it is important to lead with compassion rather than placing blame or judgment. This is my definition of being consistent with selflessness. Constantly treating people with kindness and choosing to do so on a daily basis without expectations.

Advocating against systems that negatively impact disadvantaged communities has been a passion of mine yet fulfilling this purpose, with any considerable success, has been consciously more difficult. Pursuing life as an Afrocentric, Latina woman is accompanied by a fortune of biases, disrespect, and societal doubt— hindrances campaigning for my failure. Although maturing has expanded my objectivity, education has assisted in putting the world into perspective by exposing me to an array of historical knowledge typically unobtainable to certain racial demographics. It has brought an abundance of gratitude to have the privilege of utilizing my education by case managing those struggling with homelessness in New York City, the majority of whom come from disadvantaged groups who are disproportionately people of color. Witnessing the obstruction of Human Rights that excessively targets these populations has compelled me to continue my education to be in a position where making systemic, tangible change is available to my community and me. I currently have over eight years of managerial experience working in upscale retail environments and three years of case management knowledge working with families who suffer from homelessness, severe mental health illness, substance abuse, and incarceration. Restaurant management has immensely shaped my leadership skills by allowing me to supervise multiple locations, launch various projects, and create innovative ways to adhere to clients’ needs through significant research on new trends regarding nutrition. Training over 200 individuals has also granted me the opportunity to acclimate to various personalities, actively keeping people engaged and developing those who desire growth. I have been able to implement systems that continue to be operationally organized, proving me to be administratively skillful and ensuring effective results. The initial opportunity in social services exposed me to a diverse population of displaced individuals who fell victim to homelessness in New York City, assisting them with the process of obtaining, and maintaining, permanent housing. Since then, it has been an honor to support some of our most vulnerable communities in need of resources and stability, including domestic violence victims, those currently incarcerated, and individuals struggling with mental health and substance abuse. These supervisory and social roles have allowed me to thrive in creating enlightening experiences for myself and others as well as implementing a respectable level of professionalism to maintain a positive environment. With this position, I intend to demonstrate the impressive analytical and managerial skills I have acquired in the classroom, courtroom, and through experiences in the real world. Having access to legitimate information yields the power to inspire the masses of people who have had little access to it. Understanding information is the privilege of having thought which has oftentimes been unavailable to some, particularly descendants of the African diaspora. Human Rights play a fundamental role in achieving equally distributed resources such as housing, education, and health. After graduating with a master’s I intend to pursue a law degree to alter the interpretation of Human Rights and for whom they apply. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1 “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”

The dream version of my future self is a self-sufficient warrior who has maintained her mental, physical, spiritual, and financial freedom, utilizing these privileges to advocate for a healthier world.

Advocating against systems that negatively impact disadvantaged communities has been a passion of mine yet fulfilling this purpose, with any considerable success, has been consciously more difficult. Pursuing life as an Afrocentric, Latina woman is accompanied by a fortune of biases, disrespect, and societal doubt— hindrances campaigning for my failure. Although maturing has expanded my objectivity, education has assisted in putting the world into perspective by exposing me to an array of historical knowledge typically unobtainable to certain racial demographics. It has brought an abundance of gratitude to have the privilege of utilizing my education by case managing those struggling with homelessness in New York City, the majority being individuals who come from disadvantaged groups who are disproportionately people of color. Witnessing the obstruction of Human Rights that excessively targets these populations has compelled me to continue my education to be in a position where making systemic, tangible change is available to my community and me. Having access to legitimate information yields the power to inspire the masses of people who have had little access to it. Understanding information is the privilege of having a thought which has oftentimes been unavailable to some, particularly descendants of the African diaspora. Human Rights play a fundamental role in achieving equally distributed resources such as housing, education, and health. After completing my LSATS and eventually graduating with a master’s I intend to pursue a law degree to alter the interpretation of Human Rights and to whom they are applied. I have over eight years of managerial experience working in upscale retail environments and three years of case management knowledge working with families who suffer from homelessness, severe mental health illness, substance abuse, and incarceration. Restaurant management has immensely shaped my leadership skills by allowing me the supervision of multiple locations, launching various projects, and creating innovative ways to adhere to clients’ needs through significant research on new trends regarding nutrition. Training over 200 individuals has also granted me the opportunity to acclimate to various personalities, actively keeping people engaged and developing those who desire growth. I have been able to implement systems that continue to be operationally organized, proving me to be administratively skillful and ensuring effective results. The initial opportunity had in social services allowed me to work with a diverse population of displaced individuals who fell victim to homelessness in New York City, assisting them with the process of obtaining, and maintaining, permanent housing. Since then, it has been an honor to support some of our most vulnerable communities in need of resources and stability, including domestic violence victims, those currently incarcerated, and individuals struggling with mental health and substance abuse. These supervisory and social roles have allowed me to thrive in creating enlightening experiences for myself and others as well as implementing a respectable level of professionalism to maintain a positive environment. With this position, I intend to demonstrate the impressive analytical and managerial skills I have acquired in the classroom, courtroom, and through experiences in the real world.

Advocating for those taken advantage of has always been instinctual for me growing up. Yet as I’ve gotten older, consciously fulfilling this purpose with any large-scale success has been more difficult. Pursuing anything as a woman of color feels like being constantly accompanied by bias — hindrances ensuring my failure. While maturing has broadened my experience and expanded my objectivity, education has helped me put the world into perspective by exposing me to information and works of literature typically unobtainable to people like me who come from disadvantaged communities of color. This kind of information would encourage youth to participate in taking control of their own lives as long as they know they can. Since graduating from John Jay College in May of 2017, I found myself pursuing a professional career in the naturopathic food and beverage industry. In the last few years, I have learned so much about holistic health and altered my lifestyle accordingly as well as increased my business and communication skills, all while budgeting wisely and mentally preparing myself for the next steps in my educational advancement. I have over eight years of managerial experience working in upscale retail environments and two years of case management knowledge working with families who suffer from homelessness, severe mental health illness, and substance abuse. Restaurant management has immensely shaped my leadership skills by allowing me the supervision of multiple locations, launching various projects, and creating innovative ways to adhere to clients’ needs through significant research on new trends regarding nutrition. Training over 200 individuals has also granted me the opportunity to acclimate to various personalities, actively keeping people engaged and developing those who desire growth. I have successfully monitored these two entities of an establishment for years and have been able to implement systems that continue to be operationally organized, proving me to be administratively skillful and efficiently ensuring results. My initial opportunity in social services allowed me to work with a diverse population of displaced individuals who fell victim to homelessness in New York City and assist them in the process of obtaining permanent housing. These supervisory and social roles have allowed me to thrive in creating enlightening experiences for myself and others as well as implementing a respectable level of professionalism to maintain a positive environment. With this position, I intend to demonstrate the impressive analytical and managerial skills I have acquired both in the classroom and through experiences in the real world. I intend to dedicate the next few years receiving a Masters in Human Rights for 2023 and further advancing my education with a law degree at aims to change the course of law as we know it, creating a new curriculum of law indebted to people of color who historically have been subjugated and continue to be mentally, physically, and spiritually oppressed. This includes networking with like-minded individuals who understand the issues we face as a human race and have the same aspirations of making tangible change in this physical realm.

Patience is a characteristic that requires devotion and resilience to obtain. Being patient can determine the decisions considered, which behaviors will be exposed, and how one's relationships with others are affected by the lack of patience. It allows individuals to collect their thoughts and objectively respond to triggering events rather than reacting with emotions that can be considered detrimental to certain situations. It is imperative to value patience, as it symbolizes strength and wisdom that may produce the empathy society needs. Compassion is an attribute commonly affiliated with patience due to both words creating a sense of acceptance with no judgment. When we begin to be patient, it can frequently reveal the traumatic similarities in humanity that tend to bring us together rather than divide. Specific negative behaviors occur during episodes of sadness, anger, and judgment. Those negative behaviors become supported by practicing patience not only with those around you but with yourself.

Prior to the pandemic I was an extroverted Latina women of color who managed reputable vegan cafes, bringing diversity and spice to the up and coming, organic foods industry. I had served predominantly white upper class individuals and educated them on the benefits of eating holistically, as this demographic were typically those who could afford to purchase life saving foods that are economically limited to people from my own community. Understanding how disproportionate information and dietary resources were being distributed, I began searching for an outlet that would allow me to educate those closest to me and who looked like me. During the pandemic the restaurants and cafes closed, causing people like me to choose two things: continue to be unemployed and collect government money or change careers. I chose the latter and landed an amazing opportunity at a non profit that provided temporary housing to individuals experiencing homelessness particularly due to Domestic Violence. Unfortunately homelessness effects people of color at a higher rate due to the institutionalized racism that is still very prevalent in todays society; however it brings much gratitude to be a part of an environment/movement where I am assisting my community and providing them with the information and skills to thrive.