My Transformative Journey in the Applied Leadership Network
A Journey of Leadership and Impact
Over the past 15 months, my participation in the Applied Leadership Network (ALN) Class 5 has been nothing short of transformative. This experience has deeply reshaped my leadership style, strategic thinking, and commitment to systemic change. Through ALN, I have learned to bridge mentorship and data-driven system reform, shifting from an individual impact approach to collective action that fosters long-term change for Puerto Rican youth.
This journey has led to the expansion of Uno X Uno PR (UXU L3C) and the development of a key partnership with OCA (Overcoming Adversities, led by Yalanis Vélez), focusing on mentorship, reentry services, and residential opportunities for youth.
Before ALN: My work centered on direct mentorship, believing that individual guidance was the key to transformation.
Breakthrough Moment: ALN introduced me to cross-sector partnerships and systems thinking, demonstrating that sustainable change requires collaboration across organizations, agencies, and communities.
Leadership Shift: I now prioritize multi-sector partnerships in UXU & OCA’s work, ensuring mentorship efforts are supported by policy change, data insights, and community-driven solutions.
Before ALN: While I understood the importance of using data, ALN’s Results-Based Leadership (RBL) framework taught me a new way to harness data to enhance impact.
Leadership Shift:
- UXU-OCA now integrates data tracking into mentorship programs.
- We use PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act) cycles to test and adjust interventions.
- Performance measures validate our impact and equity goals.
Before ALN: I believed that clear program structures were enough to engage youth.
Breakthrough Moment: ALN helped me understand that challenges like trust and resistance require adaptive leadership and co-creation.
Leadership Shift:
- Mentorship models are now co-designed with youth and families.
- Community validation and long-term behavior change are key priorities.
🔹 Reducing Truancy & Increasing Graduation Rates
- ✔ Consistent mentorship increases school engagement.
- ✔ Building trust lowers absenteeism and dropout rates.
- ✔ Aligns with ALN-PR’s goal of long-term youth success.
🔹 Lowering Police Contact & Supporting Reentry
- ✔ Expansion of reentry services and residential stabilization.
- ✔ Addresses risk factors that lead to justice involvement.
- ✔ Reinforces ALN-PR’s goal of reducing punitive responses.
🔹 Integrating PDSA for Continuous Improvement
- ✔ Strategies are tested and adapted with real-time data.
- ✔ Ensures sustainability and measurable impact.
My leadership journey in ALN has equipped me to drive systemic change. UXU & OCA are the direct results of this work.
If you believe in mentorship, reentry, and equity, we invite you to support Overcoming Adversities:
Your support empowers youth to:
- ✅ Avoid justice system involvement.
- ✅ Access education and employment.
- ✅ Thrive as community leaders.
Through ALN, I’ve learned that real impact comes from systems change, not short-term programs. UXU-OCA is helping build an ecosystem where youth thrive, communities heal, and policies serve justice.
By applying ALN’s equity lens, we center marginalized youth and close opportunity gaps—ensuring every young person in Puerto Rico can lead, succeed, and build a future full of possibilities.
Together, we can make a lasting difference. 🚀
