Small Business Owner, MHT Resident, Parent & Manchester Proud Champions Council President.

Tell us about what makes Manchester special to you?

Manchester is special to me because as soon as I visited our Queen City for the first time back in 1998, I felt that this was the place I could call home and raise my future children. The tranquillity, fresh air, no traffic congestions and the cost of living was far cheaper than my New Jersey apartment in New Milford. In 1999, my ex-husband and I picked up the NH Union Leader and learned that the Civic Center (now SHNU Arena) was being built, and that there was growth planned for the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. We envisioned Manchester as a growing city, and quickly realized that was where we should start our family 3 boys; now 22, 17 and 16. We also saw an opportunity to be pioneers and be the first to bring Dominican cuisine to the already growing multi-cultures in our great city.

Manchester is special to me because despite the difficult times including the recession of 2008, located in the heart of the center city where some crime and homelessness keep potential clients away, I have been able to maintain my restaurant, Don Quijote, and raise my children. This city has embraced me and I will continue to give back to the community in all the ways that I can.

How are you involved with Manchester Proud and the Manchester School District, and why is this work important to you?

I am one of the Manchester Proud Council board members and this work is  important to me beacuase I want to be part of the adaptive change that is essential to bringing the community together and supporting our Manchester Public schools. I believe that under our new leadership, the dedicated teachers and all school staff including the many volunteers and partners we will achieve our mission in the “making of exceptional public schools“.

Fast forward five years: share with us your aspirations and vision for Manchester’s public schools.

  1. Existing Teens mentoring program. Have an arts specialist/ director whom can then create an arts program for our middle schoolers thru high school “Youth Equity Stewardship programs”  (YES programs) as in other multi diverse cities in the Northeast. (Rosa Parks in Paterson NJ).
  2. Creating a more diverse and equitable education system that provides to our diverse students not only students of color, but also the physical and mentally disabled, and the large array of neurodivergent students in our community.
  1. Higher graduation rate within our new Americans especially the Latino Community. Many of our children are living in poverty and will not have the same capacity to learn as others will. We must help in creating strategies and support systems so that our dedicated teachers can continue to make daily impacts in our students lives.