Hi! I am First-Gen, daughter of Mexican immigrant parents, and raised in Gage Park on the Southwest side of Chicago. My name is pronounced in Spanish as "Yahsz-meen", but I'm happy with "Jaz" or "Yaz." At around 11 years old, I began noticing and questioning symptoms of inequitable decision-making, which fueled my deep commitment to racial equity, social justice, and sustainable investment in BIPOC communities.⚡️Now, I explore how structural and systemic decisions impact people from an individual to an organizational level. At AMPT: Advancing Nonprofits, I get to apply my skillset in nonprofit program management and strategic engagement to build meaningful relationships with Black and Latine nonprofit leaders, and support them in building their organizations' capacity through an antiracist approach. I connect with AMPT's nonprofit partners to learn how they understand their organizational needs, and how our resources can support their organizational vision. With this insight, I help inform AMPT's evaluations processes, curricula, and programmatic improvements to ensure that nonprofit partners experience quality programming, and get connected to resources that are tailored to their needs & goals so that they may operate to their fullest potential.With 10+ years experience in community engagement, youth development, and social impact, I'm driven by and rooted in previous work of having supported 200+ youth from Chicago's South and West sides in creating neighborhood-specific action projects that address systemic inequities through a trauma-informed lens. I cultivated and strengthened relationships with 100+ city leaders and decision-makers👥, and provided structure to collaborate towards more equitable practices through mutually beneficial relationships. I value mobilizing others to embrace their holistic selves, learn from the resiliency of their ancestors, vocalize their own narratives, & take action towards more equitable and inclusive changes. 🔥Highlights🔥🗣 Led 50+ workshops around Identity Exploration, Civic Engagement, Recruitment Practices, Trauma-Informed Healing, & more. 📈Scaled programs to include two additional councils and increased participation by 183% from 30 to 85 participants over 10 months.💪🏽 Improved recruitment strategies and methodology, streamlined operations, designed interview processes. 💡Featured on She Chose Joy with Melanie podcast. 🌱Interested in Health and Wellness, Financial Education, Strength Training, Yoga, and Houseplant Care.✨If our experiences align, overlap, or don't at all, feel free to message me✨