I was born on September 12, 1995 to two loving Ecuadorian immigrants in Boston, Massachusetts. Ever since birth, I have been a proud resident of Dorchester (over by Fields Corner). I had a bilingual upbringing, where my parents stressed the importance of being able to speak, read, and write in Spanish (their native tongue), while I would attend public school (Sarah Greenwood School) entirely in English. I always loved talking to people, whether it was with classmates, teachers, or relatives. Learning new languages has always been a part of my life, and speaking to a broader array of people is the best way to understand others from different walks of life. At Boston Latin I excelled in French, not only because I loved studying it, but because I was able to practice it with many of my neighbors who were from Haiti and spoke both French and Haitian Creole. That was the beginning of my interest in connecting with others, which gradually evolved to making their lives more enjoyable and efficient through realm of public service.
I’m interested in public service because I know that through advocacy and adequate representation, my neighborhoods needs will be heeded to. When I was younger, Ronan Park, the local park down my street, was always known for being extremely dangerous, especially at night. It only took one experience (with my brother) of getting assaulted or “jumped” as we would colloquially say, to realize the importance of being cautious. However, a year or two later, many improvements were made to this park. The large, ominous trees where people were known to linger around at night were cut down, a nice dog park was built, street lights were placed along the pedestrian path to function even after the baseball park lights were shut off, and several blue emergency posts were installed. It was only until I was older that I realized that an improvement like that doesn’t happen magically. It takes one voice to speak up, and a representative or neighborhood liaison to communicate that message to the more powerful authorities. Then they would contact Parks and Recreation or find the best way possible to actually make things happen. The reason I applied to the Ward Fellowship was to learn about this kind process, how needs are addressed, and how the public is satisfied.
I come from a family that taught me the importance of having a strong work ethic, giving back to others and that to be successful in life you have to start from the ground and work your way up. There will always be obstacles, and people that believe you are incompetent, but it’s up to you to respectfully prove them wrong. Now I am working in the office of Mayor Martin J. Walsh, and surprisingly it reminds me a lot of how I was BLS Class President (but to much larger scale!) The mayor is very busy, and his staff handles the hundreds of invitations, press events, and meetings to attend. So far, the work environment has been fast paced and intriguing. I am excited for all the new experiences the Ward Fellowship has in store for me this summer before college at Brown.