Jasmin Guerrero
“My name is Jasmin, and I was a research assistant with Project JUNTOS ’18-’19. I am graduating with my Master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling this semester, and I am working at a community mental health clinic that works largely with minority and low-income populations who have a mental illness. Being able to participate in JUNTOS during undergrad played a big role in discovering my passion for working in the mental health field, being an advocate for mental wellness, and working with diverse populations. JUNTOS gave me valuable professional experience and directly impacted my decision for pursuing a career as a psychotherapist. The work JUNTOS lab does is extremely important to our society, and I am very glad to have been a part of it.”
Chantal Valdivia
“My name is Chantal Valdivia (she/her) and I was a remote RA with the JUNTOS/Familia project in 2021. I received my BA in Psychology and Sociology from Wellesley College in 2022, with an additional certificate in early childhood education. Currently, I work as a Lab Manager in the Logic of Emotion Lab at Princeton University where I study how emotion words and concepts develop across the lifespan. I came to the JUNTOS lab wanting to learn more about culturally-responsive research practices, since my previous projects were often limited to white, high SES samples. Working in the JUNTOS lab allowed me to gain insight into identity-based recruitment and the importance of bilingual research materials. I hope to pursue doctoral studies in developmental psychology and learn more about children’s social networks, emotions, and imaginations. I am forever grateful to the JUNTOS lab, whose projects embrace the mentality that impactful research truly “takes a village.””
Beatrice Torres
“I am currently pursuing my MPH in Community Health Practice with a certificate in Health Disparities at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and will be graduating in May 2023. During my time as a graduate student, I have published research on language discordance in the emergency department through Baylor College of Medicine and have been working on a literature review on increased victimization of individuals experiencing homelessness through University of Houston College of Medicine. This past semester, I also interned in the U.S. Human and Health Services. The JUNTOS lab helped me achieve this path by exposing me to the social determinants of health and the ways in which it can alter the trajectory of one’s life. It became a passion of mine especially given my experiences in the RGV and the loss of my father due to COVID-19. I was able to later build upon this through my MPH and research as a graduate student, which ultimately deepened my understanding of social and health disparities particularly among minority and underserved/under-resourced regions. I hope to one day conduct my own research surrounding social determinants of health and health disparities and later use that to inform policy. During my first year at UT, I felt alienated and was engulfed by imposter syndrome. However, it was through JUNTOS that helped me find my place in the Austin community while at the same time give back to the latino community, a community who made me who I am.”
