La Trese Annette is a Sociologist and proud 3rd generation Chicagoan, born in Bronzeville and raised in Lake View. She is a Ronald E. McNair Scholar, DFI Fellow, and former President of the Graduate Association of Sociologists at Loyola University Chicago. As a successful first-gen social scientist and educator, La Trese Annette has 15+ years experience in mixed methods, qualitative research, and ethnography. The White House 2023 President’s Volunteer Service Bronze Medal Award recipient for her work as the 2023-2024 UNA-USA Global Goals Ambassador for Zero Hunger, La Trese is passionate about connecting tech corporations to fund health equity feeding programs. Her interests intersect in the areas of technology, medical sociology, social policy, family, culture, sociology of food, power and authority. As a sexual assault and complex trauma survivor, she provided direct services to youth from 3-17 years old who were experiencing layers of trauma and suicidal ideations in a Missouri Correctional Facility. La Trese Annette also was a First Responder during the 2020 pandemic, supporting the active COVID Emergency Shelter for displaced residents of Missouri with case management and daily clinical care. Due to over exposure to her patients as a COVID First Responder, La Trese Annette contracted Tuberculosis (TB) and was placed in isolation for over a year. During this time of healing, she became passionate about the importance of immunization and is now a Shot @ Life Champion Advocate with the United Nations Foundation. La Trese Annette is active in her Filipino community by supporting AFIRE Chicago, working as a Citizen Application Preparer. As a former teen military wife, she is the lead virtual tech host for the American Red Cross Resilience Workshops for military families coping with active service deployment. La Trese Annette also serves the American Red Cross as a International Humanitarian Law Instructor and she is a dedicated Young Professionals Network Member for the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. She loves working with her Loyola GOLD Alumni Board, serves as Co-Chair of Programming & Events for the Loyola University Chicago Latino Alumni Board, member of the Chicago Scholars Associate Board, and the Abstract Reviewer for the Black Doctoral Network Conference Planning Committee. In her downtime, she is an avid reader, Sip & Savor Coffee drinker, and devotes quiet time listening to the UNA-USA Women's Podcast.