how I got to today

Born and raised in Spain by a flamenco guitarist and an elementary school teacher, human connection and music accompanied me in every step of my existence. Singing Breathe from the musical In The Heights kept me grounded as I embarked on the path of traveling across the ocean at the age of 18 to enroll in the National High School Institute at Northwerstern University in the Acting and Musical Theatre program. 

After the twists and bends of navigating the performing arts conservatory university system and its barriers to access, I knew I wanted to make a change toward equity in the world. With the heart of an artist and a deep growing concern for global and mental health, I received an award to enroll at Sarah Lawrence College in New York– where I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Performing Arts and Global Health. 

Furthering this path, I earned a Master of Arts in Psychology at the The New School for Social Research, working with Dr. Adam Brown at the New School Center for Global Mental Health, where I not only applied a public health lens to reimagining wellbeing in the performing arts sector, but I extended my focus to working with vulnerable populations, particularly in community and global settings. 

Currently, I am a doctoral student in the Clinical Health Psychology PhD at the University of Miami, where I joined the Jha Lab, under Dr. Amishi Jha's mentorship. This line of work involves integrating a contemplative neuroscience lens to mindfulness interventions targeting cognitive vulnerability factors (e.g. attention, memory) for psychological health and holistic fitness, in high demand populations (e.g. first responders). I am particularly interested in mindfulness 'in context', integrating an implementation science lens.

My work aims to expand pathways for people facing adversity to access quality and accessible mental wellbeing care at a local and global level. I recently created a telenovela-based adaptation of the World Health Organization's scalable evidence-based mental health interventions, integrating my background in the arts, science and public health. 

Learn more about this project by clicking below: 

Beyond my current work, my evolving list of interests includes human connection, social dance, the Caribbean and Latin America, lessons from traditional, Eastern, and indigenous healing, relationship science, autobiographical memory, poetry, storytelling, and the revolutionary practice of slowing down. 

"In a gentle way, you can shake the world." – Mahatma Gandhi