All About Me

 A mid-life awakening has led me on an incredible journey of healing and self-actualization. I started my educational journey several years back when I graduated from my Paralegal Certificate Program with Honors. This came as no surprise, as I have always been an academic at heart. I am currently a Senior @ UMass Lowell, as a Psych. major, with a Business minor. I am also working on an IT certificate for 'Multimedia Applications' using my remaining electives. I always try to maximize my potential, and thanks to UML I am able to do just that! I have been an artist at heart my entire life, and have been working with Photoshop since the late 90's, so I have a great deal of experience editing and designing. Next year, I take the plunge... I will finally be enrolling in Law School! Currently, I am a member of the American Bar Association and Massachusetts Bar Association.

____________________________________________________

But, the trip here was not exactly a smooth one! I have seen 'skid row'. I have slept under bridges. And in ditches. I've stolen food to eat because I was broke, homeless and starving. I've spent countless days wandering around, panhandling, and hoping I don't get abducted.I should be dead, by all accounts. I did die at one point, only to wake up in a strange hospital with tubes running in and out of my body.Addiction has very sharp claws, and once they dig in, it's very hard to get away and stop the bleeding.BUT, I digress. Our past does not define who we are today, but it is part of the story.

 ____________________________________________________

As a young girl, I aspired to be an Attorney. Straight A's were the norm, and just as insecurities mounted, perfectionism was soon borne. At an early age I LOVED to read and write, and did so in ways far beyond my years. I always recall my Pampa being really good with words. He was the most profoundly articulate person I have met in my life, and that continues to be an inspiration.Following in his footsteps, I had a poem published when I was only 10 years old! Life was not always easy, but it wasn't hard, either. As I grew older, my sights averted from the success that lay in wait over the horizon. 

____________________________________________________

Yet, here I am. Fate has guided me right back to where my story began; back into my purpose: To ensure that justice was served, and advocate for those stuck in situations where it wasn't. It is in this that I found my passion for helping those enslaved to the justice system.

____________________________________________________

As of early 2025, there were nearly 2 MILLION people incarcerated in the United States (prisonpolicy.org). Many who are incarcerated are isolated not just from the world in a physical way. The are also cut-off from the love and kindness of friends, family and loved ones...and worst of all, they've lost the will to be kind to themselves as well. The mind is the biggest captor of all, and I consistently find that we are our own worst enemies! That being said, of course there are people who belong behind bars. But locking people up for drug possession, petty theft, or even prostitution (don't judge me... it's the oldest profession in 'the book'... literally!) is just a way to funnel dirty money through an even dirtier industry, perpetuating the very problem it is trying to solve. A problem that asks as a shockwave, sending impulses of anger and resentment that stain families and deteriorate their structure.

____________________________________________________

'If nothing changes, nothing changes.' You're damn right.