Finding My Voice: My Journey of Growth and Empowerment with Poder Latinx
Finding My Voice: My Journey of Growth and Empowerment with Poder Latinx
by Cristal Guzman, Poderosas Fellowship Associate
When I think back to my younger self, just starting my advocacy work as a volunteer with Mi Familia Vota, I can’t help but feel proud of that 16-year-old teenager and her incredible growth. My journey these past few years has been transformative in so many ways! My time as a volunteer introduced me to a group of leaders who would start a small organization out of an office in Florida called Poder Latinx. I joined their movement, ready to be a part of change. I began as a quality control agent, happily sitting on my chair, staring at a computer screen, too shy and nervous to speak to people, to speak for myself. If you ask anyone today, however, shy is not a word they would use to describe me.
Now at 25 years old, I am a culmination of all the trailblazing leaders I have met in the movement and all the caring members of my Dominican community. In the process, we’ve endured and overcome many challenges, and now, with the uncertainty that comes from a new federal government, when so much is changing day by day, when fear and uncertainty prevail, I try to rely on the joy and teachings of my culture during these times. Right now, our communities are facing threats from every direction, and though it's understandable to feel fear, we can’t let fear be the reason to stop the work we do.
From working as a quality control agent, I was later promoted to Senior Lead during the 2020 election. This pushed me to get out of my comfort zone and develop the skills needed to meet my community where they were. I was knocking at doors, tabling at local businesses and shopping centers, phone-banking, and registering people to vote.
Most importantly, I worked for weeks in Georgia during the 2020 election and 2021 runoffs, learning and adapting to a different set of voting laws than I had encountered in Florida. It was the moment that I was presented with the realization that my work could traverse state lines, that there was room for me to do more.
Later, when my coworkers encouraged me to apply for the Associate position with the Poderosas Fellowship, I hesitated. I felt the fear seep in, whispering that there was no way I was good enough. But the support from my colleagues gave me the courage to push forward despite my doubts. I had seen, at this point, so many of them enter the organization with so much potential and had seen them grow and move up in the organization. If they could do it, and if they believed in me, then I could do it, too. I’m glad I did not let fear stop me then. This work has been the most amazing and rewarding experience so far.
Working with the Poderosas fellows has helped me feel more confident and secure. Each cohort brings in a group of passionate Latinas seeking an opportunity to DO MORE. I often tell them that I learn more from them than they do from me. It’s nice to feel the formation of sisterhood in every cohort.
Now more than ever, I see the importance of the work I do—of the work that Poder Latinx does. We are equipping young leaders with the platform to use their voices and create change. We don’t teach them to be leaders; they learn that on their own. What we do is provide them with the tools, the confidence, and the network to take their leadership to the next level. Fear is not and will never be a factor to stop them or this organization, on the contrary! It’s an opportunity to spread our wings altogether, just as I did, to reach new heights.
The mission of empowering young Latinas to connect with their communities, engage with their representatives, and hold them accountable is embedded in everything this organization does. I have been given the tools and platform to strengthen my confidence and expand my impact—from my community in Florida to communities across the country. I do the same for every Poderosas fellow and also my colleagues at Poder Latinx.
Looking back, I see the growth in myself, in my community, and in the movement we are building together. And I know that this is only the beginning. The seeds we plant today, through education, advocacy, and community building, will continue to grow. I am proud of standing alongside the Poderosas and Poder Latinx, knowing that together we are not just part of a movement, we ARE the movement. As long as we stand together, there is no limit to what we can achieve.