Coming from a family of sisterhood and five sisters, this was my mother’s (RIP) request to leave a legacy for young girls and women of all ages, races, cultures, and ethnicities to make a global positive difference. Ten years later that dream and legacy is thriving as Positive Women United.

I am most proud of the positive differences Positive Women United has made for our young girls and women. We are making a greater difference through our mentoring and advocacy as a female-empowered nonprofit organization for young girls and women from all diverse, inclusive demographics and backgrounds.

The advice that I would give is to be selfless, giving, authentic, supportive, and passionate when advocating and helping to make a positive difference in someone life. You also have to have patience and a willingness to get the work done. Additionally, you should be a team leader and team player within your organization.

I’ve been a native New Yorker all my life, so it’s in me already being a female empowered New Yorker.

As a child of first-generation immigrants from Trinidad, I have to credit my parents’ dedication, sacrifice, and hard work ethic as examples and the reasons for where I am today. Before my undergraduate experience at Temple University in Philadelphia, I was confident that I would commit to human-centric work either as a social worker or a lawyer. While I did not become either of those things, I have been fortunate to have rich experiences in the non-profit sector for ten-plus years that have allowed me to intersect social, economic, and justice issues. I am proud today to work for an organization in STRIVE that allows me to work on these issues daily at a systems level.

Still today, I am most proud of being one of the first children from a big extended family to graduate from college. I helped set a standard for education in my family, and I am happy to see so many of my family members exceed the standard.

The advice I provided to emerging non-profit leaders is to never to forget that you assume an obligation to be of service to the community upon entrance into the sector.

I was born and raised in New York until I was 13. While I no longer live within the five boroughs and in a suburb of NYC, New York has never left my heart and soul. The culture, food, energy, and sports (Knicks, Yankees, Giants) will always be a part of me. I would have no other way to build my career in New York, and I am forever thankful for what this city has provided me.