Just wanted to take a time out to celebrate my graduation from the @latinonetwork Unid@s leadership program as part of Cohort 8 today, July 11 of 2020! . As part of this program, I was selected with 23 colleagues from an applicant pool of thousands and I’m grateful to have been a part of it. I met folks from many professional fields like public health, family law, public policy, non-profits, government and educational fields in my cohort as we began the journey. . Through group retreats, workshops, group and 1:1 dyad discussions, check-in’s, and Zoom-based hangouts, we weathered great distances at first and had to adapt to the impact of Covid-19 on our ability to meet in person. I credit @joaquinlopezmusic for his leadership during all of the changes to our program and his ability to keep us engaged as we moved the last 5 months of programming online. . It was a great experience and helped highlight the community wide effort to challenge systems of power and the strategy we all use in our various roles to push for change, demand equity, and support each other to enact change in our fields. . Of the entire group, there were only a handful of men, but their willingness to be vulnerable and honest in conversation and emotion was a welcome change in my professional life. I am also continually impressed and appreciative of the women in the group who shared their stories, comforted others, modeled strength and remained engaged throughout the entire process. . I rarely share these victories and personal achievements, but I wanted to give credit to a transformative experience and a unique opportunity to share my story with a group of people who celebrate the Latinx diaspora in all its forms. For all my Boricua (Puerto Rican) fam and the community I work with everyday, I will continue fighting for what’s right and demanding space for all of us. There is no finish line! ✊🏽🇵🇷 !!! . I know I’m gonna miss some folks but shout out to @twin2v @drdrichardson @chiclechew @ednavazquezmusic @alondra.can @alma_mg @deedeecabrales @hearthealthcareforartists for the support and being part of the journey! . #portland #latinonetwork #pdx #community #migente (at Portland, Oregon) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCh8Anfhhhh/?igshid=1v5xqth6aqhsv
