My multicultural competence is rooted in my Bronx upbringing, where I learned firsthand how race, class, language, and environment shape opportunity and well-being. Through my work with students with IDD and autism at Beyond Academics and with diverse veterans in HUD-VASH, I strengthened my ability to practice cultural humility, honor lived experience, and address systemic barriers in care. Guided by the NASW Code of Ethics, I ground my clinical practice in dignity, inclusion, and a commitment to challenging injustice in every setting