I am an individual who has learned the value of living life to its fullest and utilizing my gifts and talents in a way that will enhance my life through giving to others. I value maintaining a healthy balance between my mind, body, and spirit. I achieve this by appreciating the tasks that life has given me, surrounding myself with people who love and support me, maintaining a positive reciprocal relationship with my community, and taking time to exercise my body and mind. I strive to let my life serve as an illustration of the appreciation, honor, pride, and respect I have for the giver of life and my ancestors. I begin each day with a warm, welcoming smile and feelings of gratitude for the opportunity to be an active change agent and community advocate. I end each day by resting securely beneath my great-grandmother’s rich, multicolored quilt that was passed down to me and is a reminder of the privileges I have been bestowed by my ancestors.
I am aware that through my veins runs the blood of my foremothers who had the vision, courage, and strength to not merely survive, but thrive despite their circumstances. Through them I have inherited a legacy of resilience and ambition. Today, my life’s goal is to share this powerful legacy of utilizing your strengths, understanding your weaknesses, listening to your inner voice, respecting all others, celebrating life, learning from mistakes, and appreciating life’s lessons.
The early struggles witnessed in my upbringing helped me to be more cognizant and sensitive to how oppression, economic depression, and systemic racism, discrimination, and prejudice can silence the beating heart of a community. I also witnessed the rejection and mistrust of psychological interventions and the failure of substituting drugs, alcohol, teenage pregnancy, and violence as a coping mechanism for hopelessness and despair. These experiences have shaped my personal and professional pursuits. Breaking down walls of mistrust, misunderstandings, and miseducation in regards to the role of psychologists, counselors and therapy will be important steps in working toward my goal of lessening the disparities in mental health services within communities of color by offering culturally-sensitive interventions. My experiences have also taught me the value of education. Therefore, even though I have been successful at achieving a Ph.D., I will forever maintain an understanding and deep appreciation of the pride and effort that goes into earning a high school diploma.
From my life lessons, I have also learned the critical importance of being multiculturally competent, being self-reflective, acknowledging when I am wrong, recognizing the power of encouragement, and honoring your past while reaching for your future. I believe firmly that to whom much is given, much is expected. Therefore, I have made a conscious decision to dedicate my life’s work to helping others, especially disadvantaged, disenfranchised people as evidenced throughout my career.
Friends, family, colleagues, and students would suggest that I am best known for my professionalism, sense of humor, and warm disposition, as well as my dedication and passion around issues of education, diversity, and justice. I hope to also be known as someone people can trust to serve them in the role of a competent, caring, and compassionate counselor, educator, coach, and/or consultant.
I am aware that through my veins runs the blood of my foremothers who had the vision, courage, and strength to not merely survive, but thrive despite their circumstances. Through them I have inherited a legacy of resilience and ambition. Today, my life’s goal is to share this powerful legacy of utilizing your strengths, understanding your weaknesses, listening to your inner voice, respecting all others, celebrating life, learning from mistakes, and appreciating life’s lessons.
The early struggles witnessed in my upbringing helped me to be more cognizant and sensitive to how oppression, economic depression, and systemic racism, discrimination, and prejudice can silence the beating heart of a community. I also witnessed the rejection and mistrust of psychological interventions and the failure of substituting drugs, alcohol, teenage pregnancy, and violence as a coping mechanism for hopelessness and despair. These experiences have shaped my personal and professional pursuits. Breaking down walls of mistrust, misunderstandings, and miseducation in regards to the role of psychologists, counselors and therapy will be important steps in working toward my goal of lessening the disparities in mental health services within communities of color by offering culturally-sensitive interventions. My experiences have also taught me the value of education. Therefore, even though I have been successful at achieving a Ph.D., I will forever maintain an understanding and deep appreciation of the pride and effort that goes into earning a high school diploma.
From my life lessons, I have also learned the critical importance of being multiculturally competent, being self-reflective, acknowledging when I am wrong, recognizing the power of encouragement, and honoring your past while reaching for your future. I believe firmly that to whom much is given, much is expected. Therefore, I have made a conscious decision to dedicate my life’s work to helping others, especially disadvantaged, disenfranchised people as evidenced throughout my career.
Friends, family, colleagues, and students would suggest that I am best known for my professionalism, sense of humor, and warm disposition, as well as my dedication and passion around issues of education, diversity, and justice. I hope to also be known as someone people can trust to serve them in the role of a competent, caring, and compassionate counselor, educator, coach, and/or consultant.
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