ABOUT ME
Hi, I'm Angelica
My Story
I grew up on the west side of Chicago where the village of Austin helped my parents shape me into the woman I am today. I am a community activist and founder of the non-for profit "proactive youth connection café". I am most proud of being a mom, I have two successful college students and a terrific four year old, all of whom are kind and intelligent. Like most parents I strive to provide the best quality of life for my children, I want to ensure they reach their highest potential. My community is an extension of my family, therefore it's important to me that we thrive as a whole. For the past 19 yrs I've been an advocate for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. At Misericordia, a nationally recognized facility known for providing the best care and life for children and adults with special needs , I help plan and develop unique programming to meet the needs of these individuals. I learned early on that I'm passionate about people being treated with fairness and kindness. While short in stature I've always stood tall for what's right, with a focus on action and accountability. Throughout my life I have worked to identify and meet the need of the people I care about, from my family to my residents to the community that I serve.
Part of what makes me a great candidate
Over the course of the past two years, I have planned and executed various community safety measures as well as advocated for community funding, resources, and support via grants, meetings, and alternative forms of advocacy. These include having streetlights installed, more police presence, transparency with crime and safety planning amongst police and community. Prior to this I was a manager at misericordia which gave me experience in conducting interviews and meetings and allowed me to expand upon my skill set and capabilities as the role called for me to do so. Most importantly I operate out of a place of love and an undying will to improve the community that I love.