Working at Seneca means showing up for youth and families during some of their hardest moments in their lives. As a first-generation Mexican American woman, I came into this work understanding firsthand what it means to navigate systems that weren’t designed with you in mind. The longer I worked alongside youth, families, and staff, the more apparent it became to notice that the hardest challenges people were facing weren’t just personal, they were systemic and structural. The systems meant to support these youth and families were often the very things causing barriers and challenges to adequately address their needs. So, I knew that if I wanted to create real, lasting change for the communities we serve, I would need to consider exploring graduate school programs to continue my own growth.

Before applying for Seneca’s embedded program, I had spent years building my career, first as a Therapeutic Behavioral Services (TBS) Coach supporting youth through significant behavioral, social, and emotional challenges, then as a Lead Family Finder facilitating reconnections between youth, family, and other important connections. Later, as a Program Supervisor, I supported and developed staff, navigated complex partnerships, and found myself frequently bridging the gap between what policy and procedures said and what youth, families, and staff actually needed. Through these roles, I realized I didn’t just want to provide support one-on-one anymore, despite loving the work; I really wanted to address inequities at the macro level and work on larger scale projects and initiatives that uplift entire communities. My experience at Seneca helped me grasp a deeper understanding that truly meaningful change requires both direct services with our youth and families as well as systemic advocacy and that I could be someone who bridges those two worlds.

RELATED | School Spotlight: Flynn Elementary

Seneca’s embedded program is designed to support employees in advancing their education without having to sacrifice financial stability, offering scholarships while staff continue to earn full-time wages and benefits throughout their master’s program, as well as completing the required practicum at Seneca for pay. It is a rare and meaningful investment in our staff doing this work every day. So, when Seneca partnered with Columbia University, I explored their Master of Social Work (MSW) program tracks. When I learned of their Leadership, Management, and Entrepreneurship (LME) for Social Justice track – which centered equity, advocacy, and systems-level change – I knew I had found a program that truly aligned with my goals. I felt so clear on my purpose that I put all my eggs in one basket, and Columbia was the only program I applied to, alongside applying for the embedded program as well. The applications for both programs were nerve-racking but also sparked hope. It was difficult to sum up the impact of this work and how deeply I already understood what this work required to support our communities effectively. When I learned I’d been selected, it was a deep exhale. Years of waiting for the right moment, the right program, the right alignment, and it was finally coming to fruition.

I am now in my third and final year of the MSW program at Columbia University, and this program has expanded my understanding of policy, organizational change, and social innovation in ways I couldn’t have imagined when I was still working one-on-one with youth and families. But Seneca also played a key role – it’s where I first saw that individual youth and family stories are shaped by larger systems, and where I decided I wanted to advocate and lead in the change of those systems. As I prepare to graduate this May, I carry my lived-experience, youth and family stories, and the lessons I’ve learned at Seneca with me: the power of Unconditional Care, the necessity of representation, and the conviction that systems can be reimagined and transformed to ensure our communities are uplifted and thrive.