Transformative Journey
Applied Leadership Network
Leading Change for Puerto Rican Youth
A Journey of Leadership and Impact
Introduction
Over the past 18 months, my participation in the The Annie E. Casey Foundation, 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 to foster 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 “acompañamiento” mentorship, reentry services, and residential opportunities for youth. This page tells the story of my leadership evolution, key educational pathways insights from ALN, and the impact of this work on Puerto Rico’s system involved youth.
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Key Learnings:
From Mentorship to Systemic Impact
1. The Power of Collective Impact
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. This realization became clear as I worked with Team Puerto Rico on initiatives like the Proyecto de Vida at Jardines de Ponce, where school social workers, adminstrators policymakers, and community leaders all played a role in providing safe participatory environment for youth peer positive interactions.
How This Shifted My Leadership Approach: I now prioritize multi-sector partnerships in UXU & OCA’s work, ensuring mentorship efforts are supported by policy change, data insights, and community-centered driven solutions.
Data-Driven Decision Making for Equitable Results
Before ALN: While I understood the importance of using data, ALN’s Results-Based Leadership (RBL) framework taught me a new way to harness the power of data-driven decision-making to enhance impact tracking and strategic planning.
Breakthrough Moment: ALN’s Results-Based Leadership (RBL) framework taught me the power of using data to drive decision-making. By focusing on key performance indicators—such as truancy levels, disciplinary referrals, and graduation rates—I saw how data could validate and refine our work.
How This Shifted My Leadership Approach:
Performance measures ensure we are effectively looking to reduce disparities in system, and school engagement of justice and system involved youth.
UXU-OCA now integrates data tracking and evaluation into mentorship programs.
We use PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act) cycles to test and adjust interventions based on youth engagement and relevant data.
Addressing Adaptive Challenges
Leading Through Influence, Not Authority
Before ALN: I believed that clear program structures and rules were enough to engage youth and families in mentorship initiatives.
Breakthrough Moment: ALN helped me understand that many challenges are adaptive, not technical. Issues like trust-building, cultural shifts, and resistance to change require leadership that engages stakeholders in dialogue and co-creation rather than simply enforcing solutions.
How This Shifted My Leadership Approach:
- I now co-create mentorship models with youth, families, and communities instead of designing them in isolation.
- The UXU-OCA partnership prioritizes community validation and stakeholder input to ensure sustainable engagement.
- Our work focuses on long-term behavior change rather than just short-term service delivery.
UXU/OCA
Driving ALN-PR Goals & Priorities
Our work at UXU & OCA directly aligns with ALN-PR’s strategic priorities, particularly the Proyecto de Vida, Jardines de Ponce aimed at reducing truancy and police contact among youth.
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Reducing Truancy & Increasing Graduation Rates
UXU-OCA’s acompañamiento programs provide consistent guidance to at-risk youth, increasing their engagement in education. ✔ By building positive relationships and trust, we aim to lower school absenteeism and improve graduation rates, aligning with ALN-PR’s performance measures. ✔ This contributes to ALN’s broader goal of ensuring youth have the support and opportunities needed to thrive into adulthood.
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Lowering Police Contact & Supporting Reentry
UXU-OCA is expanding reentry services and offering residential stabilization for youth transitioning back into the community. ✔ By addressing risk factors that lead to police contact, our holistic approach promotes long-term success beyond the justice system. ✔ Mentorship provides positive role models and alternatives to justice system involvement, reinforcing ALN-PR’s commitment to reducing punitive responses.
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Integrating PDSA for Continuous Improvement
UXU-OCA follows ALN’s Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework, ensuring:
Impact is measurable, making our work sustainable.
Implementation is adaptive and based on feedback.
Strategies evolve with new data insights.
Invest in the Future of Puerto Rican Youth
My leadership journey in the Applied Leadership Network has equipped me with the skills, network, and vision to drive meaningful change. The UXU-OCA partnership is a direct outcome of this journey, focused on creating a brighter future for the youth of Puerto Rico.
If you believe in the power of mentorship, reentry services, and community-driven solutions, we invite you to contribute to OCA’s mission:
Your contribution directly supports mentorship initiatives, youth reentry programs, and residential opportunities, empowering young people to: ✅ Stay out of the justice system.
✅ Access education and employment opportunities.
✅ Thrive as leaders in their communities.
Final Reflection
Leading for Equity & Long-Term Change
Through ALN, I have come to understand that real impact is measured in long-term systems change. Our work with UXU-OCA is more than mentorship—it’s about building an ecosystem where youth are supported, communities are engaged, and policies reflect the needs of those most affected.
By applying ALN’s equity framework, we ensure that our performance measures always reflect the experiences of marginalized youth. Our goal is to track and close the gaps in opportunities for those furthest from success.
With the skills developed in ALN and the power of collaborative leadership, I am committed to continuing this work, ensuring that every young person in Puerto Rico has the chance to lead, succeed, and build a future full of possibilities.
Together, we can make a lasting difference.