At the tender age of 12, I lost my grandmother Rita, to cancer.  She was a teacher for 28 years and a feminist who traveled the world and country with a strong passion for social justice.  Rita was an inspiration to me and to many of her students who have followed in the path she paved as an educator and activist.

Her passing was life changing for me. In my last goodbye to her, I told her that I would one day do something to honor her life and work. My journey ever since has been rooted in wanting to see true transformation happen in my generation.  I have carried my grandmother’s lasting legacy and her deep sense of social justice within me.  She continues to have a profound influence on me and the work that I do through the fund I have chosen to start in her name.