Brenda Lozoya

I attribute my success to my personal journey and the opportunities my parents gave me that they didn't have themselves. I attribute my success to the amazing women in my personal life, my mother, my wife, my niece, and my wolfpack. My mother and father are Mexican immigrants who are now U.S. citizens, and they gave me access to education - something they never had. Growing up, I had my own mental health struggles and learning disabilities that I didn't recognize for a long time. I didn't discover I had learning disabilities until after I flunked out of junior college, and for years I thought it was a moral flaw. Once I figured that out and started getting help, it changed my life. Coming from a low socioeconomic background with language barriers, those aspects of my childhood inspired me to provide services for my community and bridge that gap. I work at a Certified Community Mental Health Center with underserved populations who don't have access to proper resources. I was inspired to get into the substance abuse field specifically and mental health counseling because it's been an amazing opportunity to help people have access to resources and be able to guide and impact their lives in a positive way. What I find most rewarding is being able to influence people and witness their transformations as they become confident, more radiant, and start to thrive. Even the small wins they achieve on a daily basis are incredibly meaningful. I've also been blessed to have amazing mentors and supervisors who have invested in me and gone above and beyond to inspire and support me. Women like Jessica Tavarez, the HR director at the Guidance Center where I work, Dr. Sheila Nicole Russell, one of my professors at the University of the Southwest, and Felicia Williams, NBCC Minority Fellowship Program Manager, have all inspired me greatly. Having supervisors who are truly invested makes such a difference, especially when I know what it's like to have supervisors who were just there to do the bare minimum - that was very discouraging. These incredible women have taught me to lean into the discomfort, to go for what I want, and to give myself grace. When we know better, we can do better. Learning to navigate biculturalism has also been exceptionally rewarding - being able to embrace the beautiful aspects of both Mexican and U.S. cultures and demonstrate that for others has been phenomenal for me.

The best career advice I've received has come from the incredible women who have mentored and inspired me throughout my journey. Jessica Tavares, the HR director at the Guidance Center where I work, has been incredibly inspirational with her support. She's one of the people who encouraged me to apply for the fellowship, along with a couple of other professionals. Dr. Sheila Nicole Russell, one of my professors at the University of the Southwest, has been amazing when it comes to mentorship. Felicia Williams has inspired me and been a wonderful resource - you send in your updates thinking it's going to be an automatic response, but she adds such a personal touch and is so invested in the program. She is phenomenal. I appreciate so many people in my life, and having supervisors who were not only invested in me but going above and beyond to inspire and support others has been an incredible experience. I also know what it was like to have supervisors who were not invested, who were just there to do the very bare minimum, and that was very discouraging. Knowing that side of it and then coming across these amazing women has taught me so much. They've inspired me to lean into the discomfort, to go for what I want, and to give myself grace. The advice that resonates most with me is: when we know better, we can do better. I want to give the same back to others and encourage people to give themselves grace as they grow.

Follow your passion. Follow your passion and don't let anyone or any system hold you back from pursuing your dreams. Continue to follow your own path with your goals in mind and don't let anything stop you. I also want young women to know that it's important to give yourself grace as you grow. When we know better, we can do better. If I can provide some words of inspiration for the younger generation and be involved in mentorship to help other women who might be a little unsure, and just give them that little bit of encouragement, I would love to do that.

The values most important to me center around respect, cultural humility, and giving back to my community. These values began in my parent's home who instilled in me the value of respect and humility. In my work, treating people with respect is fundamental - it's amazing what that can do for a person, even if they're mandated to be here and don't want to come. I want to truly listen and understand rather than just being an expert telling people what to do. I want to reflect what they're telling me so they can figure out what's best for them. Learning how to navigate biculturalism has been one of my proudest achievements. Being part of two very different cultures - the Mexican culture which is more collectivistic and the U.S. culture which is more individualistic - I used to feel like no matter what, I was wrong if I didn't assimilate to one culture or the other. But learning how to embrace the beautiful aspects of both and gaining that ability to demonstrate that for others has been phenomenal for me. In my personal life, I value spending time outdoors, spending time with family and loved ones, and taking time for myself. It's fascinating how as children we have these tools innately - when I was a kid in Mexico, we would run around barefoot, go to the little store next door, play outside in the dirt, and as you grow up you feel like you're too cool for that. But acknowledging and embracing the strength of grounding yourself and spending time outdoors has been so beneficial. I'm also deeply committed to continued growth and learning - that consumes a lot of my downtime, but I can't shake my interest in expanding my knowledge and continuing to better myself. I want to help people have access to resources and be able to guide and impact their lives in a positive way, especially those in vulnerable populations who don't have access to proper resources.