I am currently a senior at Millersville University majoring in Social Work and minoring in Spanish. Since I was a middle school student, I knew I wanted to help people and advocate for unheard voices of vulnerable populations. My mom and her siblings are from Puebla, Mexico so I grew up speaking and reading Spanish, but I wanted to learn how to write and interpret it better.
The work that is done at Advoz was out of my comfort zone. I had never worked with youth before and I wanted to push myself so that I can grow as a person and learn to work with a different population than the one I am used to. I also wanted to bring some of my skills to the organization. I am fluent in Spanish and I wanted to make sure the voices of those with limited English were heard. I have been here for a couple of weeks now and I know that I made the right choice! Their mission, to transform conflict and build community through face to face dialogue, was also a big factor in why I chose to serve at Advoz. The concept of non-traditional justice is what drew me in. The focus on restorative justice and figuring out how to repair what was done as opposed to a punitive measure can be a positive life-changing for youth and I want to be a part of that.
My favorite thing so far has been witnessing the willingness of youth to repair some of the harm they have caused to another individual. Seeing someone so young realize that their actions can have negative consequences gives me hope for their future and the future of the community. I am most looking forward to improving both my communication skills in Spanish and English in a professional setting while making an impact in the lives of those involved within our community. I am also eager to learn more about the work done at Advoz and the impact that they have on the lives of the youth and the victims that come through the program.
I am planning on continuing my studies and getting my master’s in social work next year. I plan to take the skills I learn at Advoz and applying them in graduate school. When I am not in the Advoz office I enjoy spending my free time volunteering and helping in other organizations in the community. I like spending time outdoors with friends and having paint nights or movie nights with them.
