¡Soy Mexicana y me encantan las aves! I have been a casual birder since 2018 and was blessed with having more time to get outside during the 2020 pandemic. Most of my time spent outside is when I'm walking my dog, Abi, and is coupled with birding without binoculars - observing movement in trees from afar and listening for warning calls and mating songs. One of my greatest experiences has been volunteering for Piping Plover Watch in 2019 and 2020. After participating in a CAS bird walk at McKinley Park, I was excited to start hosting bird walks in Spanish for Spanish-speaking communities and communities of color in partnership with the Spanish-Birdwalk group: Avelingües.

Some of my other hobbies include: cooking platillos Mexicanos tradicionales, dancing Cumbia, painting and embroidery, and running my small avian-inspired candle business, VelAves Candle Co. I currently work at the Illinois Science and Energy Innovation Foundation as a Program Analyst. Here, I manage the organization's data analysis efforts, communications, oversee a portfolio of grants, and guide applicants through the grant application process.