Biography

I was taught the act of service at a very young age when my sister and I would join my grandmother who has devoted her life as the coordinator at the Community Kitchen in Roswell, New Mexico. But it wasn't until high school that volunteering became an essential in my life. I was a member of Assisteens which is a volunteer organization that consists of an average of 75 high school girls, and became president my senior year. I also was a volunteer religious teacher assistant for two years and I started volunteering at Chaves County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for abused and neglect children) through a high school program. I ended up staying with CASA for 2 years as an employee and a volunteer. With much encouragement from Carrie-Leigh Cloutier and the community as a whole, as well as financial support from American Eagle Outfitters, I was able to turn an idea into a dream that came true. I created Transitions, which is a non-profit program aimed at offering positive encouragement and continual support to foster children throughout the process of being in foster care. I was able to run it successfully for about six months in Roswell tag team with Chaves County CASA. Due to my path in education, I am now a freshmen at NMSU in Las Cruces, New Mexico where I have recently taken the first steps in running my Transitions program tag team with Mesilla Valley CASA. I am a full time student with a part time job but have somehow found time to continued my volunteer work with Transitions, as a religious teacher for the 2nd grade, a CASA volunteer and I have recently jumped on board as a volunteer with a mother-infant lab at NMSU. I am simply following my path in life with complete faith. I walk every step for it and am where I am only because of it.