"I've never really been a social person. I was an outcast at school and at home, so I spent a lot of time indoors alone. As I was growing more into myself I began wanting to watch LGBTQ media and learn up on history.
“I was there when there was a demonstration of the Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activist Alliance back in Times Square where there were a lot of arrests going on at the time.
“I didn’t hear about Stonewall until after it happened. I remember the riot in ’69, but I’ve never been there. When I heard about the backlash against the police, I was surprised! This was a monumental thing.
“I was having a birthday party at Bonnie and Clyde’s. Gladys was in the corner and smiled. She has a beautiful smile. I asked my friend Vicki ‘who’s that?’ She said ‘you don’t want to know her because she doesn’t speak English.’ I left it at that. I was more interested in my party.
"I grew up with strong family values and the great examples of my mother and my brother. I’ve encountered the violence that any child may experience while living in a poor neighborhood in the capital of Venezuela.
My family has a long-term appreciation for Queens Community House's (QCH) presence in Forest Hills; our now teenaged daughter had been enrolled in the QCH Early Childhood Center.
Applying to college in 2018 was one of the best decisions of my life because it led me to intern for QCH's Case Management Department and meet Ms. Blanca Goris, the best role model in the social work field.
When I was in middle school, my mom told me about a program that she felt my cousin and I should join to gain more experience. I was skeptical at first, but after my first Access for Young Women (AFYW) session, I've been a participant since!
