Monica has been the PLTI Site Coordinator since its inception in Solano County in 2015. Throughout her time with PLTI, she has had the privilege of getting to know some of the most amazing and influential parent leaders in the community. She has witnessed their journeys of personal growth and leadership development firsthand. Before joining the Children’s Network, Monica primarily worked in the nonprofit sector. She has always felt, and continues to believe, that she can make the greatest impact and find her true purpose through social justice work. Her professional experience includes working alongside community organizers, foster youth, youth in the juvenile justice system, social workers, attorneys, judges, individuals experiencing homelessness, formerly incarcerated individuals, seniors, clergy members, and families. Monica holds a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts with an emphasis in Journalism from San Francisco State University. She is the proud parent of two children, Viviana and Max, and serves as an active member of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Committee at her son’s school. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, and connecting with people. She is currently working on a voice, video, and writing project designed to uplift parent voices in the community. Before joining PLTI, Monica never considered herself a leader, let alone someone who had a voice or a seat at the table. She saw herself as “just a parent.” But with the support and encouragement of the PLTI community, she came to understand her role as a community leader and now proudly models leadership for her children, showing them how to advocate for the change they want to see in the world. PLTI has been a transformative journey for Monica, shaped by the parents, grandparents, and community advocates she has met—people who come together to support, understand, and uplift one another across lines of language, gender, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic background. Though the journey has come with its share of challenges and mistakes, she believes it is deeply worthwhile, because the future of our children depends on it.