I was born and raised in New Haven. Growing up, my family and my faith taught me that each of us has an obligation to do everything we can to help other people. When I was in high school, I decided I wanted to dedicate my life to public service. I tutored at Mauro Sheridan and volunteered to help kids learn English at Elm City Internationals. Through school, I organized fundraising drives for the Connecticut Food Bank.

Then I got an internship in Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro's office downtown, where I answered the phones after school. My job was to listen to people who called asking for help, and then to take notes for the caseworker team so they could figure out how to help. Over hours listening to people on the phone, I heard the stories of neighbors struggling to find housing or afford their medication. And I started to understand how local government can help.

While I was doing this work, Trump got elected in 2016. That stiffened my resolve. At rallies and neighborhood meetings and when I talked to people while knocking on doors, I felt the fear and damage Trump caused here in our city. And I saw that working in state and local government offered a path for fighting back and making progress close to home. Six years ago, I ran for and won a seat on the New Haven Board of Alders. I also helped organize and then directed the Connecticut General Assembly's Progressive Caucus. Four years ago, I started working as the Legislative Coordinator at Connecticut Voices for Children.