Hey everyone:) my name is Crystal (she/they), I'm a first-gen 24-year-old Latinx located in the south suburbs of Chicago. My parents reside in Michoacan, Mexico where I lived for most of my adolescence.
I am very passionate about intersectional radical decolonized community-based social work, I hope to reimagine and create transnational spaces for neurodivergent folks of color to connect and where Spanish-speaking individuals, immigrants, and refugees can thrive by eliminating barriers to information, and resources, provide paths towards upward mobility and build frameworks for international collaboration.
I received my BSW from the University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign in May 2020 with minors in Latino/a Studies and Spanish. I completed my field placement at The Refugee Center, a small but powerful non-profit resettlement agency in Central Illinois where I mainly worked with the Guatemalan community at the peak of COVID-19. After graduation, I was hired on as a case manager where I stayed until October of last year.
Currently, I'm pursuing my MSW at Dominican University through their Advanced Placement program in Global Social Work Practice for Immigrants and Refugees.
Issues of Interest: Latino/a Studies, Immigration Policy, ADHD, disability justice, community outreach, organization, QTBIPOC, grassroots activism, grantmaking, trauma-informed practice, mutual aid, international partnerships, programs, fellowships, research, restorative justice, immigrants, refugees, displaced populations, Trafficking, Victim Assistance Program (TVAP), macro social work