Sharing Alumni Successes: Connecting Underserved Communities with Resources

"What if this idea had the potential to become reality?

Today, I'm incredibly proud to say that it has.

About one year ago, I left the Brown University Pre-College Programs Leadership Institute with pages of notes, outlines, and an idea. Looking back at those original plans now, it's hard to believe they would become the foundation for something real.

It's crazy to think that just last year, Building Support existed only as a vision—a community initiative I designed with the goal of making resources more accessible for Hispanic, immigrant, and underserved communities. What started as a project on paper has grown into an initiative I founded under the Latino Leadership Council Inc., bringing together volunteers, community partners, and donors to create a tangible impact.

Over the past year, we've organized multiple community distributions, built partnerships throughout the community, and continued expanding our mission through service and advocacy. Every event has reinforced something I learned at Brown that has stayed with me ever since: "You are not the leaders of tomorrow—you are leaders today." We don't have to wait until we're older, have a title, or have more experience to create change. We have the ability to make an impact right now.

I'm also incredibly grateful to my professors at Brown, Professor Natalia Román Alicea, M.A. and Professor Andrew Heald, whose mentorship continues to inspire me long after the program ended. Their approach to teaching intercultural communication and leadership challenged myself not just to discuss change, but to design it. Building Support is, in many ways, is a direct reflection of the lectures they taught and the confidence they gave me in a tiny classroom in Providence, to turn an idea into real life changing action.

This past week marked another major milestone for Building Support: our first international distribution. In response to the devastating earthquake in Venezuela, we assembled and distributed hygiene kits and essential resources to families affected by the disaster. Seeing something that began as an idea in a classroom at Brown fully evolve into an initiative capable of supporting communities beyond our own is incredibly meaningful.

This past year has taught me that creating change doesn't require having all the answers—it starts with taking the first step. Small actions, when fueled by purpose and supported by a community, can grow into something far greater than you ever imagined.

Here's to one year of Building Support—and to continuing to prove that each of us has the power to create meaningful change, one step at a time."