In an increasingly digital world, access to technology should be a fundamental right. Connected Society is a youth led 501(c)(3) organization focused on dismantling barriers that marginalize communities as we believe innovation should be an equalizer. By providing digital and AI literacy education, we empower minority owned small businesses to reclaim their visibility and provide individuals with the practical skills necessary to understand these spaces. From local storefronts to global classrooms, our goal is ensure everyone has the tools to connect and thrive in a modern world.
The foundation of Connected Society was born at my kitchen table, where I spent my childhood as a digital translator for my parents. They had come from a country where technology represented luxuries they could not afford and began to encounter it more when they imigrated to the US. I understood that technology can be either a connection to opportunity for those that have access or a wall that keeps the rest out. That realization deepened as I looked from my home into the streets at my own town. Living in a predominantly white area, I found myself constantly searching for our Hispanic community. I saw incredible small businesses, from cafes and to stores, that hold our culture together struggling with visiblity because they lacked the digital marketing and social presence needed to compete. It became clear that my passion for innovation is a resource that could support my own community. Eventually, this local interest expanded into a global perspective at the Girl Up USA Summit in 2024. Sitting at a roundtable discussing the barriers to education, I was moved by the plight of women in Afghanistan and how they are being silenced. By partnering with Girls Towards Leadership and She Learns She Leads, I began building the digital literacy and programming workshops that define our work today.
I love anything in the intersection of computer science/AI and psychology/neuroscience, along with understanding the ways technology can be created for the greater good. These interests have taken me to conduct computational neuroscience research at Carnegie Mellon, comparing human and machine facial perception, and to develop Opus, an AI assisted art mentorship platform designed to support students from under-resourced schools. Apart from Connected Society, I also serve as president of my school's STEAM Club, an intern of my school's IT Department, and am a Girls Who Code alumni. I also have a small business designing stickers with Procreate! I am a huge advocate for student mental health, coauthoring a bill to bring excused mental health days to PA school districts, and gender equity, working closely with Girl Up. In my free time, you will probably find me taking photos for local events, playing guitar, or traveling!