Nurturing Growth

Intimidation has been my biggest weakness ever since I began my placement. However, as my time with UnidosUS continues, I have learned to not be intimidated, but to be inspired. The staff here have worked through countless achievements to get where they are. Nobody is perfect, and everyone has had at least one failure when it came to building their career. Even our mentors are not exempt from this reality. 

Eric Holguin has been a great guide for anything policy related. I value what he has taught me, especially since we are both from the Rio Grande Valley. He has made sure that I have felt comfortable speaking to him with any concerns, and has done a great job at introducing me to other staff and making sure I am well-acquainted. It’s nice being able to have someone to talk about home to, even if we're somewhere as big as D.C. He has also made me more open-minded when it comes to the idea of moving away from home. I love being home-bound, but I have also realized that there are certain opportunities and experiences that I just won’t get in the valley, and I have to be open to finding them elsewhere. 

I’ve been juggling my time between policy and the education sector. I have helped research early childhood education, and Tania Villarroel has been a great guide when it came to my projects. She’s very welcoming, and has helped me with any issues I came across. Tania and I actually met before I started my placement. We met at the Congressional Hill visits where she wanted to learn more about Migrant and Seasonal Head Start! I’m more than glad that I’ve been able to share my experience as a child to hopefully help UnidosUS research the data and statistics of children. 

UnidosUS has only fueled my love for policy and advocacy and has planted the seed for my interest in early childhood education. I can’t wait to see how my experience here will shape my career and my professionalism as a future working member of society.