My name is Belen Aguirre. I come from “early sunrises and the smell of handmade tortillas”. I was born and raised in Salinas, CA along with three siblings which I love. My parents are from Jalisco and Durango, Mexico and migrated to the U.S. at a young age in hopes of a better life and new opportunities. As a first-generation Latina student, I earned my B.A. degree in Collaborative Health and Human Services from California State University Monterey Bay in 2015. I then joined the amazing team at Kinship Center as a Family Support Counselor. My work at Kinship involves using trauma informed treatment interventions to support families with children ages 0-5 and build on healthy and secure attachment styles. In 2017, I interned at Monterey County Behavioral Health in the Early Intervention Program and practiced additional skills using a relational, mindful and trauma-informed lens when working with families and children. Currently, I am expected to graduate with a Master of Social Work degree from CSUMB in May 2019. I am now holding a second internship at CSUMB’s Personal Growth and Counseling Center providing mental health services to college students. I have hopes that through my dedication and endeavor in expanding my knowledge in social work and preventative work, I will enhance my abilities to serve diverse people, communities, and groups with high needs. Through higher education, I was able to explore, learn, and understand cycles of oppression that impact our communities. Today, I am a passionate Latina who desires to see a brighter Salinas and demonstrate to the world that no barrier can stop us.
“Still, like air, I’ll rise”
– Maya Angelou