My commitment to mentorship and community engagement is grounded in my experience as a mentee in programs such as the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program. I remain committed to supporting students from underrepresented backgrounds by mentoring them through academic, professional, and research opportunities.

      My current work extends this commitment beyond the university. I recently completed a community-engaged report on aging in Paterson, New Jersey, developed for the Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation. Working with local nonprofits and community stakeholders, I helped develop a report responsive to the needs and priorities of older adults in the community. I will also give an upcoming public talk about the report and its findings.

      I have participated in public conversations on migration, labor, aging, and Latino history, including a panel with New Jersey Monuments of Migration and Labor on labor migration and New Jersey’s contemporary historical legacies. In collaboration with HRIC, I gave a talk at the Newark Public Library on equipping educators to teach Latino history. I am also part of the Age-Friendly North Jersey Alliance, which brings together community organizations, advocates, and researchers working to improve the lives of older adults.

      On October 25, I will appear with Joe Torres on Tiempo Latino in New Jersey in a segment focused on Latino communities in New Jersey. These activities reflect my broader commitment to making scholarship accessible and responsive to the communities with whom I work.