The Latina Social Work Profession
By Natasha Luna
We have been told throughout life that patience is the key to achievement, but persistence is the ultimate reward for long-term success. Continuity and determination are important components of many successful stories. Beyond her role as a social worker at a high school, Ms. Rojas embodies strength, resiliency, and unshakable devotion. The journey of Francine Rojas is proof of the strength of drive, compassion, and fortitude in the face of difficulty. She overcame many difficulties and disappointments, but one stood firm in her determination to support students in overcoming barriers and succeeding.
Ms. Rojas is a perfect example of how a person's life circumstances can inspire exceptional work in their career. She represents the true meaning of social work, and what she does continues to have a significant and positive impact on the lives of the people she helps.
The changes that her father's military service brought about have influenced Francine's life path. Francine experienced a dramatic change in surroundings from the fast-paced city of New York to the more standardized environment of Virginia. Her exposure to this shift revealed a completely different cultural environment, lacking the variety to which she had become used. It led her to consider her own identity as a Latina as she found herself navigating a community that was predominately made up of black and white people. Francine became interested in her ethnicity and background because of the differences in her experiences in New York and Virginia. Her teenage years were marked by a move back to New York, which gave her a chance to rediscover her cultural roots and discover aspects of herself that she had never given any thought to before. Her comprehension and admiration of her background were further enhanced by the wide range of hairstyles and cultural customs that she discovered to be fascinating in New York City. Francine gained a greater sense of flexibility and cultural awareness as a result of these encounters, seeing the value of accepting variety and appreciating the viewpoints of others. Her experience serves as a testament to the transforming power of exposure to other surroundings and civilizations, eventually shaping a person's worldview.
She was exposed to her family's difficulties at an early age since her parents divorced, leaving her mother to raise her and her siblings by herself, whose challenges comprised social disadvantages, mental health difficulties, and financial difficulties. Events like this gave rise to the impulse to fight for the oppressed and underprivileged. She addressed every issue with compassion and a persistent determination to make a difference, whether it was coping with trauma or overcoming educational obstacles. She was motivated to make sure her students didn't have to go through the same struggles.
Despite many obstacles, Ms. Rojas persisted in her studies as a first-generation Dominican college student. Despite not having a college degree, her parents valued education greatly. Growing up, her father—a military man—always predicted that she would become a psychologist. She has always had a passion for business, English, and psychology. Her passion for promoting students' mental health and well-being motivated her to pursue a bachelor's degree in psychology with double minors in English and education. She went on to earn a Master's degree in social work, which inspired her even more desire to serve others and improve her community
Ms. Rojas was a psychology student involved in the prestigious McNair Lehman Program, which supports disadvantaged students' academic success and research abilities. After being matched with a mentor, she learned more about social work and his wife's pursuit of a PhD in the field. Social work seemed like a perfect fit for her, so she pursued a master's degree. Ms. Rojas has had a varied and significant career as a social worker. She has experience working in a variety of settings, such as community centers, schools, and health centers, where she has offered advocacy, counseling, and support services to people and families dealing with trauma, and mental health concerns.
Being the first person in her family to attend college, Ms. Rojas is a passionate school social worker with an extraordinary story to tell. Her 17 years of experience at the Department of Education have focused mostly on dealing with teens. However, she recently switched to working with young parents and babies, bringing incredible expertise and compassion to her new position.
Francine works to provide a welcoming, open vibe where every child and family can experience a sense of empowerment and value. She places a high value on education and makes it her mission to ensure that her kids have access to all necessary resources. Regardless of their past or situation, she thinks everyone can flourish. "I believe that there are many opportunities and that education can change people's lives. I also believe that obstacles often stand in the way of people's success, particularly when they are young and have many other worries. I just want to support them in achieving their goals." Her commitment to improving young people's lives inspires everyone around her and helps create a healthier, happier community. She knows intimately the struggles that many of her students as well as clients face because she came from a family of minimized opportunity and dealt with the difficulties of her parents' divorce and lack of education. This viewpoint reflects her desire to support those who are underprivileged and provide people with the resources they need to overcome challenges.
Ms. Rojas is bilingual, but her bilingualism goes beyond language to include cultural perspectives. Because she can move between diverse cultural contexts, she has a deep awareness of different customs, experiences, and opinions. Francine fosters empathy and understanding between different groups by acting as a bridge, thanks to her linguistic abilities and cultural sensitivity. Her ability to relate to people on various levels improves her capability to move gracefully and sensitively through a variety of situations and the intricacies of interpersonal interactions. Being bilingual is one of Ms. Rojas's strongest assets when it comes to building deeper connections with people. Her ability to speak different languages helps her understand people on a first-hand basis without the need for interpreters. She can converse with individuals in their original dialect, which facilitates deeper conversations and interactions, and this talent helps to build a sense of closeness and a sense of connection.
We are reminded that persistence and patience are the fundamentals of long-term success, as well as virtues. She is a great part of the community because of her constant dedication to her students and her passion for social justice, demonstrating that anybody can genuinely make a difference with perseverance and determination "There were a lot of needs that I had as a young person that I wanted to make sure didn't exist for my kids." The life of Francine Rojas is a testimony to the strength of perseverance and the transforming influence that it can have in both the personal and professional worlds.