Inquiry Form

A powerful moment of learning from the recent NYSAIS Diversity Practitioners Conference was the keynote session with Dr. Cindy Bautista-Thomas. She spoke with such clarity and depth about the importance of rooting equity work in healing, and how caring for ourselves is just as critical as caring for our communities. Her reflections on the connection between wellness, identity, and justice deeply resonated with me,
especially in my role as someone who often holds space for others navigating emotionally charged experiences.

What made her message even more meaningful was seeing a fellow Latina so confidently embody and uplift self-care as a vital part of justice work. It was profoundly affirming to witness someone who shares aspects of my own identity model healing and self-awareness as acts of resistance and sustainability. Her reminder that we cannot pour from an empty cup stayed with me, underscoring the truth that transformative work must begin within. Dr. Bautista-Thomas invited us to look inward—to examine not only the systems we strive to dismantle, but also how they show up in us. That experience reaffirmed my commitment to equity work that is grounded in authenticity, reflection, and care—from the inside out.