Introducing the 2021 Baldwin Leaders!

CBO Partner: The Common Wheel

I love trains and bikes and believe that the two go together when it comes to solving many of our environmental woes, our transportation problems, & our issues with connecting with one another on a deeper level. I intend to visit some of the best cities and their leading organizations or governmental agencies via Amtrak along with my trusty bicycle to bring back best practices to impart first-hand knowledge here in Lancaster and the surrounding regions. At the same time, I want to write letters about the experience & turn them into a zine, to share the knowledge in an accessible & fun way.

CBO Partner: YWCA Lancaster

The Baldwin Leadership Experience will help me grow professionally and personally by overcoming my fears of public speaking and fear of meeting new people and traveling to new places where I must communicate independently. I will also learn about cultures in other Spanish speaking communities. Growing up in Lancaster, PA, my household only spoke Spanish. As a young child and into adulthood, I feared to communicate in Spanish, as people always made fun of me. I learned to carefully chose who I communicated with in Spanish. I learned English in school but lost my ability to speak Spanish fluently. This caused a barrier when I tried communicating with Spanish-speaking families, a connection I want to fully regain. I will enhance my Spanish by taking a course. It’s important because I am in a leadership role, and this will help me with starting new conversations with others confidently. I also want to show my children, who do not speak Spanish, that it is never too late to start learning their second language. I will be encouraging my children and leading as an example. I would like to use this experience to also empower the Spanish speaking community in Lancaster, PA, family, and staff by showing them that good things are possible when you step out of your comfort zone.

CBO Partner: Lancaster General Hospital

The focus of this project is to further develop my leadership skills as a woman of color, by creating a pathway to healing and hope within the Lancaster community. I have witnessed women of color from this community work tirelessly for years without taking the time to care for their own physical or mental health, leading to unhealthy outcomes. My goal is to promote self-care, the importance of community connectedness, self-advocacy, and empowerment for those living within the margins to be unafraid to speak and live their truths.

CBO Partner: Music for Everyone

My project would be to fully immerse myself in the realms of music, arts, creative expression, and social justice. If I were selected for this opportunity, I plan to learn more about El Sistema in real time. I would travel to different El Sistema USA chapters in New Orleans, Los Angeles, Chicago, etc. to research the roots and experience the diverse cultures through music and education. I want to shadow other “Edutainers” and apply the knowledge of music and how it correlates with social change within my own company, Tru2You, LLC and the Equity work in the School District of Lancaster.

CBO Partner: Lancaster City Housing Authority

The necessity for self-preservation and health is essential to the perpetuation of impact. My goal is to build on the foundation set before me and cultivate a landscape inclusive of self-care and holistic well-being for our next generation of leaders. I meditate daily and have begun a practice of movement through Pilates. I plan to expand my practices, connect with others, and share my knowledge. In this pursuit I will be traveling to communities outside of Lancaster to build fellowship and cultivate relationships. Additionally, I would like to attend an Ayurvedic retreat.