Meet The Team

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I have always been a deeply private person. For a long time, my community advocacy initiatives were something I pursued quietly, away from the spotlight. But there comes a tipping point when the challenges we face are simply too vast, and the stakes for our democracy are too high to remain on the sidelines.

The People First Project began as a passion project—a necessary response to a time when so many in our community feel entirely unseen and unheard. Our neighbors are struggling, feeling hopeless and fearful for the future of our country. As a proud, educated Latina and an American, I refuse to sit by and watch the country I love shift from a democracy to a dictatorship.

My journey into community advocacy was shaped by my own human experiences. In my early twenties, I was arrested and convicted of a crime I did not commit. I have always been transparent about this chapter of my life—encouraging anyone to read the public transcripts of my case.

I served three and a half years in prison, and unexpectedly, it became the greatest education I could have ever received on how to truly advocate for my community. Living alongside a diverse group of resilient women taught me how various individuals respond to struggle and, more importantly, how fundamentally alike we all are. I learned firsthand that when people like myself have access to the right resources, education, and genuine encouragement, no circumstances are insurmountable.

Upon my release, I returned to school, rebuilt my life, and continued my advocacy work privately. Due to my past, I was initially content to stay in the background and focus on my family. However, looking at them reminds me that this isn't the time for silence. In my home, I observe the beautiful, complex fabric of America as part of a mixed-status family. I am the wife of an immigrant, the mother of two incredible children with special needs, and the daughter and granddaughter of combat veterans and Braceros. A legacy of service to this country runs in my blood, and as a proud American, I fear for the values of this nation I once cherished, as well as for my family's future.

The People First Project isn't about me—it represents a collective community effort that shares the lessons of resilience our diverse and passionate team has learned in the toughest circumstances. Together, spanning different ethnicities, political spectrums, and lived experiences, we work tirelessly and unpaid, using our voices and hard work to advocate for real and lasting change. We are dedicated to providing compassion, hope, and community support to the resilient, hardworking people of America who represent the true backbone of this nation—individuals who rise each day to fight for their 'American Dream,' regardless of their documentation status.