(Published February 10, 2020)
Alicia Suarez was born and raised in the Southwestern Michigan region and as a child, her parent's primary source of income was through migrant work. They traveled from Michigan to Florida depending on the season and at a young age, her parents made the decision to reside solely in Michigan. Her parents worked hard at ensuring that she and her siblings were able to live in this area with some continuity and stability in spite of the challenges and inequities they faced as a family. It was not until later in life that she realized that she and her siblings were considered a marginalized family due to language barriers, socioeconomic status, and educational status. Through resiliency and determination, she had the honor to be the first in her family to obtain a Masters Degree in Education. It has been her goal in her professional career to use her experiences as a catalyst to give back to her community and culture.
For the past two and a half years she has worked as a Prevention Associate for the Community Healing Center in Kalamazoo. This position has allowed her the opportunity to network within Kalamazoo, learn the community, and work alongside many organizations in providing services to youth and families in need. Before her work in Kalamazoo, she worked in the field of Education as a certified teacher in both Michigan and Indiana. It was also an honor for her to work for the Bilingual Department of South Bend School Corporation as a Bilingual Intervention Specialist. It was in this position that she found her strong sense of purpose and passion when she was able to work in a capacity that allowed her to give back to her culture. Her years of service as an educator and as a Prevention Associate allowed her to become cognizant of the needs, challenges, and struggles that our youth and families face daily. This awareness has brought to light the importance of providing youth with an essential foundation in life skills and prevention services as it relates to empowering our youth to make positive life choices.
Fun fact: While in college she was a Flamenco Dancer.
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