As the founder of The Career Gem, a full-service career coaching business, I have over 15 years of guiding others to achieve their career aspirations. As a first-generation college graduate, I help ambitious Latinas position themselves for their next career role, resulting in increased income benefiting themselves, their families, and their communities.
With a background in nonprofit leadership development, customer-training for a top 50 Forbes tech company, complemented by 8+ years of teaching in California’s public elementary schools, in both urban and affluent school districts as a Spanish bilingual teacher and literacy coach, I am well-versed in the high tech, education, and nonprofit industries. I've spoken and conducted career preparation workshops for We All Grow Amigas, Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley, California Latino School Board Association, ServiceNow, as well as other nonprofit organizations and companies.
In November 2020, in the midst of the pandemic and shelter in place, I ran a successful political campaign and was the first elected Latina Board Trustee for Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District. I also am a 2022 graduate of HOPE (Hispanas Organized for Political Equality) Leadership Institute, as well as a fellow for How Women Lead Latinas in Sight 2023 cohort.
When I am not working on my own level up, I co-lead Latinas of the Bay Area, a professional and social network for 400+ Latina women, as well as find any opportunity to be silly and have dance-offs with my kiddos.
I hold an M.A. in Education from San Francisco State University and a B.A. in Sociology from the University of California at Berkeley. You can also say that I'm a proud East Bayer!
