The Education Collaboratory at Yale launched in July 2023. To learn more about our work, we are spotlighting all the dedicated team members of our lab, highlighting their research and what brings them to our team's mission to advance the science and practice of SEL.
What is your role at the Education Collaboratory?
I am a postdoctoral associate, supporting Project Flourish. As a mixed-methods researcher (qualitative-forward, mixture modeling expert), my research focuses on creating culturally & linguistically affirming and emotionally supportive spaces in schools and communities- particularly for Latinx & multilingual students, families, and educators. For Project Flourish, this involves using a critical and assets-based lens for leading both qualitative and quantitative data analysis efforts, while also collaborating with partner organizations and providing/coordinating SEL-specific technical assistance (in both Spanish & English) across partnered schools. I also lead a pilot study based out of Puerto Rico, in collaboration with the Yale Child Study Center and Yale Alumni Service Corps, aimed at improving school climate through educator-focused SEL support.
What brought you to the field of SEL, education, and psychology?
As a bilingual Latina, daughter of immigrants, I am an ethnic minority within my community, a reality that became prominent in high school as I immersed myself in gifted education seminars, advance placement classes, and college-level courses. My pursuit of higher education as a womyn of color, revealed the prevalence of micro-aggressions from teachers and administrators. During undergrad, I was exposed to the world of research and witnessed the impact of cultural practices, language barriers, and resource accessibility on academic and social development.
My most pivotal experience was working with and mentoring “The Green Team,” a small group of eight middle-schoolers from three different schools in Richmond, Virginia. In an effort to represent and advocate for improvement within a community highly stigmatized for being historically poor and filled with crime, we underwent a multi-faceted digital story-telling project. The final product capsulized the resiliency and capacity that the community had. This mentoring program was transformative for me; it challenged me to think critically about the effect of public perception on public policy and the type of support provided to underserved groups, as well as appreciate the power of community. This experiential learning of the life course was invaluable as I was able to develop a knowledge base in the sociology of aging, insight on intergenerational relationships’ interdependence of linked lives, an appreciation for the role of culture in understanding neighborhood dynamics, and excitement for engaging as an agent of change in marginalized communities.
With a passion to mitigate cultural barriers across academic and social environments for immigrant, multilingual, and Latinx populations and promote school readiness and motivation, I pursued my Ph.D. in educational psychology-applied developmental science with Dr. Natalia Palacios at the University of Virginia. It was there, that I dedicated my work within the field of SEL, to 1) examine the critical differences amongst my own community that inhibit and prohibit child development and 2) engage in culturally-responsive research on the development and assessment of evidence-based programs.
What line of research do you find the most interesting/intriguing in the field right now?
My experiences in the US public school system, and my understanding of my mother’s role and experiences as an educator in the same system, inform my commitment and interests in highlighting the voices and experiences of culturally and linguistically minoritized students and educators in US public schools, while in turn, acknowledging the marginalization, heterogeneity, and resilience of this population. As such, I am particularly passionate about taking a within-group approach to explore how various aspects of schooling (e.g., policies, practices, relationships, cultural representations) influence Latinx and multilingual children’s socioemotional development. I primarily do this by leveraging both qualitative and mixture modeling methods to identify and amplify the strengths and assets in children, families, and schools that may mitigate the harmful academic, social, and psychological effects that culturally and linguistically minoritized children experience due to bias and discrimination.
Currently, my work through the Education Collaboratory involves examining the impact and integration of SEL and SEL assessments among predominantly Black and Latinx public schools across New York, California, and Puerto Rico. Through collaborating with communities and school systems, we are able to identify barriers and bright spots that may enhance data-driven SEL and equity initiatives/practices, prioritize educator and youth voices, and foster healthy school communities.
What energizes you outside of work?
Spending time with my dog, Tofu! That, along with avidly meditating and social dancing (such as bachata, zouk, salsa, and kizomba) keep me grounded on a regular basis :)