I am a first-generation Mexican American, the daughter of an undocumented immigrant, from a large working-class family in the Chicago area. I came to the Episcopal Church 21 years ago, when I was 20 years old, after a crisis of faith in the Roman Catholic church of my childhood and the evangelical church of my teens. In the Episcopal Church, I have continually found healing, blessing, and wholenes
s in God’s unconditional love. Throughout my lay ministry, I have worked to bring about a church that can share that blessing with all of God’s people. Today I live in the Diocese of Oklahoma, where I am a doctoral student at the University of Oklahoma and a member of St. I study topics related to leadership identity (race, ethnicity, gender, etc.), public opinion of nonprofits and faith-based organizations, as well as congregational collaboration. For the last two decades, I have worked in the nonprofit sector in multiple states, leading organizations and programs that provide transitional housing for homeless women and children, permanent supportive housing for people with disabilities, community and fine arts, alternatives to incarceration for pregnant women and mothers, and collaborative initiatives to close the digital divide. From 2005 to 2008, I was an international aid worker in Kenya and South Sudan with Church Ecumenical Action in Sudan, building the capacity of South Sudanese faith-based nonprofits and dioceses in grant writing, financial management, as well as program design and evaluation. From my professional, familial, and personal experiences, I am passionate about a multitude of issues such as immigration, LGBTQIA2S+ inclusion, empowerment of women and girls, criminal justice reform, race and ethnicity, disability inclusion and access, sexual harassment and exploitation, as well as justice and peace initiatives. I have been fortunate to serve our church and my community in many ways in the last two decades. In all of these roles, I have gained experience and skills that have prepared me to serve as president of the House of Deputies in this pivotal time for the Episcopal Church.
