COMING UP ON "BEHIND THE WOMAN."

>> MY NAME IS SONIA MARTINEZ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE LATINA ORGANIZATION.

SOMEBODY NEEDED TO TAKE THAT TASK ON.

THE ASSOCIATION WAS CREATED TO HELP LATINO COMMUNITY.

WHEN YOU FEEL THAT YOU MADE IT TO WHERE YOU WANTED TO BE, ALWAYS REMEMBER TO GIVE BACK.

PEOPLE STILL HAVE A LOT OF NEEDS.

THEY HEAR ABOUT SONIA MARTINEZ.

YOU CAN GO THERE AND YOU CAN HELP.

THAT'S WHY THEY COME HERE.

♪ I GOT A GOOD, GOOD FEELING, YEAH, I'M UP ON A CLOUD AIN'T COMING BACK DOWN ♪ ♪ I GOT A GOOD, GOOD, GOOD FEELING ♪ ♪ YEAH, I'M ♪ ♪ YEAH I'M UP ON A CLOUD AIN'T COMING BACK DOWN ♪ (SPEAKING SPANISH) GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO "BEHIND THE WOMAN."

I'M YOUR HOST Dr. JUHANNA ROGERS.

TONIGHT WE ARE GETTING TO KNOW SONIA MARTINEZ.

SHE IS CO-FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HUDSON VALLEY LATINO ASSOCIATION.

LET'S TAKE A FEW MINUTES AND LEARN MORE ABOUT SONIA AND THE IMPORTANT WORK SHE IS DOING FOR HER COMMUNITY.

>> MY NAME IS SONIA MARTINEZ EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MOHAWK VALLEY LATINO ASSOCIATION.

I CAME FROM THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.

I CAME TO THE UNITED STATES WHEN I WAS 13 YEARS OLD.

MOVED TO THE BRONX, SOUTH BRONX IN THE LATE 70s.

IT WAS A SHOCK TO LIVE IN THE SOUTH BRONX IN THOSE TIMES.

A LOT OF GANGS, A LOT OF BAD THINGS HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY.

THROUGH THOSE TIMES, MY OUTLET WAS SCHOOL.

I LOVED GOING TO SCHOOL, NOT KNOWING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE MADE ME WANT TO BE MORE IN SCHOOL TO LEARN ENGLISH, TO BE SOMETHING LIKE MY FATHER WANTED ME TO.

SO THAT WAS MY OUTLET.

I WANTED TO BE AN AIRLINE STEWARDESS AND I DID GO THROUGH THAT PATH IN COLLEGE.

I TOOK TOURISM.

BUT BACK THEN, MY STATURE DID NOT ALLOW ME TO WORK AS AN AIRLINE STEWED ES.

THAT WAS A DREAM I COULDN'T HAVE.

AFTER THAT I STARTED LOOKING FOR WORK IN OTHER AREAS AND I ENDED UP IN WORKING FOR EXCELLUS BLUECROSS/BLUESHIELD.

THEY LET YOU BECOME WHO YOU WANT TO BE AND THEY HELPED ME GROW.

AND THAT'S WHERE I LEARNED WHERE I NEEDED TO BE FOR MY COMMUNITY.

WHEN I CAME TO THIS COUNTRY, I DIDN'T SPEAK ENGLISH BUT BY THE TIME I GOT TO THIS AREA, THE MOHAWK VALLEY, OF COURSE, I WAS FLUENT AND THEN AS AN ADULT, STARTED SEEING THE NEEDS OF MY COMMUNITY.

WITH LANGUAGE ACCESS.

AND THAT'S WHEN I THOUGHT SOMEBODY NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING.

THE ASSOCIATION WAS CREATED TO HELP THE LATINO COMMUNITY SUCCEED.

OUR MISSION IS TO EDUCATE AND EMPOWER THE COMMUNITY.

THE MOHAWK VALLEY LATINO ASSOCIATION, WE SERVE THE COMMUNITY TO MANY DIFFERENT SERVICES LIKE LOOKING FOR EMPLOYMENT, HELPING THEM FILL OUT THE UNEMPLOYMENT PROCESS.

WE HELP THEM WITH HOUSING.

WE HELP THEM WITH IMMIGRATION AND TRANSLATION SERVICES WILL HELP THEM REGISTER THEIR KIDS IN SCHOOL.

WE HELP THEM TURN THE LIGHTS ON.

PEOPLE STILL HAVE A LOT OF NEEDS.

EVERY DA I WE GET PHONE CALLS.

I GET CONTACTED BY PEOPLE WITH FOOD NEEDS, CLOTHES, FURNITURE AND THEY HEAR ABOUT UTICA.

THEY HEAR ABOUT MVLA.

YOU CAN GO THERE AND GET HELP.

THAT'S WHY THEY COME.

>> Juhanna: WELCOME SONIA.

SO EXCITED.

(SPEAKING SPANISH) UNBELIEVABLE.

UNBELIEVABLE.

>> GRACIAS.

THANK YOU.

AND THIS SHOW, IN THE SPIRIT OF IT IS SO PRESENT AND EVEN JUST YOUR ENERGY.

IT'S IN MOMENTS LIKE THIS THAT WE SIT DOWN AND COME TOGETHER AND I'VE MET YOUR FAMILY AND ALL THAT, THAT IT JUST FEELS LIKE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HERE.

>> DEFINITELY.

>> Juhanna: SO WELCOME.

GRASS WAS.

>> GRACIAS.

TODO.

LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOU AND HOW DID YOU GET TO ONEIDA COUNTY?

HOW DID YOU END UP STARTING OUT HERE IN CENTRAL NEW YORK?

WHAT-- I GUESS WHAT BROUGHT YOU HERE, RIGHT AND BECAUSE YOU STARTED LIFE IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.

YOU COME INTO THE U.S., NEW YORK.

BUT WHAT-- AND PEOPLE ASK ME THIS QUESTION ALL THE TIME, TOO.

WHAT MADE YOU STAY, COME TO AND STAY IN THIS AREA?

>> WHEN I WAS A LITTLE GIRL AND REMEMBER WHEN MY FATHER SAID YOU ARE GOING TO MOVE TO NEW YORK, I, OF COURSE, CRIED BECAUSE I MEAN THAT MEANT I WAS GOING TO LEAVE MY MOTHER.

AND NOT KNOWING ANYTHING ABOUT WHERE I WAS GOING TO LIVE.

, WHO I WAS GOING TO BE AROUND SCHOOL, NEW PEOPLE.

WHEN I WOULD DREAM ABOUT THAT, IT WAS KIND OF SHOCKING NIGHTMARE.

I WAS SO USED TO LIVING IN MY COUNTRY.

CERTAIN TYPE OF WEATHER ALSO.

BUT WHEN I CAME, A SNOWSTORM.

BUT THEN THE EXCITEMENT OF GOING ON A PLANE, YOU KNOW, AS A YOUNG CHILD, YOUR EXPECTATIONS.

DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS LIKE.

THEN LIVING IN THE SOUTH BRONX WAS A BIG EXPERIENCE ALSO.

GOING TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT WAS SO DIFFERENT.

THEN APPLYING FOR COLLEGE, MOVING TO HERKIMER COUNTY FOR COLLEGE WHERE I ATTENDED FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS.

FELL IN LOVE WITH THE AREA.

I FELT LIKE I WAS HOME.

>> Juhanna: HOME.

>> Juhanna: BECAUSE IT WAS VERY DIFFERENT THAN NEW YORK CITY.

>> Juhanna: IT WAS MORE INTIMATE.

>> YES, NEIGHBORS, JUST LIKE HOME.

>> Juhanna: YEAH.

>> NEIGHBORS HELPING EACH OTHER.

>> Juhanna: YEAH.

>> YOU WOULD WALK DOWN THE STREET, HELLO, GOOD MORNING.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MADE ME FALL IN LOVE WITH THE AREA, THE TOGETHERNESS OF PEOPLE AND THEN DIFFICULT NOT FACE RACISM.

I DID NOT.

I WAS WELCOME BY AN ITALIAN FAMILY THAT STILL TODAY WERE VERY WELL CONNECTED STILL.

BUT THEN AFTER THAT, AFTER COLLEGE LIFE, YOU LOOK FOR WORK, COULDN'T FIND A JOB THERE BECAUSE WHAT I WANTED TO DO WAS -- THERE WAS NO OPENINGS THEN BUT THAT DIDN'T STOP ME.

AND GOT A JOB FOR A 16-COUNTY TOURISM AGENCY.

AND I WAS THERE FOR FIVE YEARS IN HERKIMER COUNTY.

WHICH LED ME TO TRAVEL TO THOSE 16 COUNTIES AND LEARNED EVEN MORE ABOUT THE BEAUTIFUL REGION THAT WE HAVE CENTRAL NEW YORK, MOHAWK VALLEY.

LIVED THERE UNTIL I HAD MY FIRST BORN DAUGHTER.

AND THEN MOVED TO ONEIDA COUNTY.

I SAW MORE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE ONEIDA COUNTY AREA.

AND THEN I HAD TO SWITCH CAREERS SO THAT'S WHEN I STARTED AT EXCELLUS BLUECROSS BLUE FIELD.

>> Juhanna: YOU TALK ABOUT BEING AT BLUECROSS/BLUESHIELD WHERE YOU SPENT 27 YEARS?

>> 27 YEARS.

A LONG TIME.

>> Juhanna: A LONG TIME.

AND WHILE YOU SAID YOU FACED, WHEN YOU GOT HERE FOR COLLEGE, YOU FACED NO TYPE OF-- IT WAS A VERY WELCOMING COMMUNITY.

>> YES, IT WAS.

>> Juhanna: YOU HAD 27 YEARS AT EXCELLUS BLUECROSS/BLUESHIELD.

WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?

>> IT WAS AMAZING.

I THINK THAT OPPORTUNITY THAT WAS GIVEN TO ME, I THANK THAT OPPORTUNITY TO WHERE I AM TODAY.

I LEARNED HOW TO BE A LEADER IN MANY ASPECTS.

WHEN I STARTED THERE, I WAS OPENING ENVELOPES IN THE MAIL DEPARTMENT.

WENT THROUGH AND APPLIED FOR DIFFERENT JOBS AND GOT SOME OPPORTUNITIES.

WHILE LEARNING MORE OPPORTUNITIES GAVE ME OTHER-- OPENED UM OTHER DOORS AND THEY'RE VERY WELCOMING TO PEOPLE THAT WANT TO BE LEADERS AND GIVE MORE TO THEIR COMMUNITY.

>> VERY OPEN TO THAT.

THEY GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY.

>> Juhanna: THEY GAVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY.

>> YES.

>> SO FOR A YOUNG GIRL THAT GOT ON A PLANE FROM SANTA DOMINGO, AND.

(SPEAKING SPANISH) AND THE CULTURE THERE AND THE VIBRANCY AND THE ENERGY THAT SURROUNDED LIFE IN THAT CITY, OBVIOUSLY AT A DIFFERENT TIME.

AND YOU COME TO THE SOUTH BRONX.

>> VERY DIFFERENT TIME.

>> Juhanna: VERY DIFFERENT TIME, RIGHT?

AND LIKE YOU CONSISTENTLY HAVE MOVED SPACES IN YOUR LIFE, RIGHT?

BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IN THOSE SPACES, YOU HAVE CONSISTENTLY FOUND OPPORTUNITIES.

HOW DO YOU TALK ABOUT THAT WITH FOLKS WHO MAY BE EXPERIENCING SOMETHING VERY DIFFERENT, WHO MAY BE NEW IMMIGRANTS INTO THIS COMMUNITY AND MAY NOT BE HAVING THAT SAME TYPE OF EXPERIENCE?

>> I FEEL VERY BLESSED THAT I ALWAYS FOUND SOMEONE THAT SAW SOMETHING IN ME.

THEY SAW SOMETHING I DIDN'T SEE.

SO THEY HELPED ME OPEN UP DOORS, OPPORTUNITIES.

AND 25U AND TAUGHT ME HOW TO BE RESILIENT.

I HAD A DREAM.

MANY DREAMS OF WHAT I WANTED TO BE, WHAT I WANTED TO DO AND I ALWAYS FOUND SOMEONE.

I FEEL VERY BLESSED.

THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TODAY.

I'M BLESSED THAT SOMEONE ALWAYS SEES SOMETHING THAT I DON'T SEE MYSELF IN DOING.

>> Juhanna: YEAH, YEAH AND SO YOU HAVE, BY VIRTUE OF HAVING PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE THAT HAVE PROVIDED OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU, YOU NOW SPENT 20 YEARS AT EXCELLUS, 20 PLUS YEARS AND EVEN BEFORE THIS MOMENT, YOU BEGAN TO BE THAT BEACON OF OPPORTUNITY FOR OTHER PEOPLE.

>> IT'S MY PASSION.

ESPECIALLY OUR YOUTH.

BLACK AND BROWN YOUTH.

>> Juhanna: TALK TO ME ABOUT YOUR POSITION WITH THE MOHAWK VALLEY LATINO ASSOCIATION AND WHAT IT IS THAT ARE CALLED TO DO THERE FOR YUCK PEOPLE AND OLDER ONES ALSO.

TALK TO ME ABOUT THAT.

>> I BEGAN SEEING THE NEED OF AN AGENCY TO HELP THE LATINO COMMUNITY.

THERE IS NO UNITY.

THERE IS LACK OF OPPORTUNITY IN MANY AREAS SUCH AS EMPLOYMENT.

I SAW THE DIFFERENT, THE DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE.

THERE IS SO MANY CULTURES IN THE MOHAWK VALLEY AND THE NEED FOR UNITY THE MOHAWK VALLEY LATINO ASSOCIATION IS ABOUT EDUCATION AND YOU KNOW EDUCATION IS SUCH A BIG WORD.

>> Juhanna: BECAUSE IT ENCOMPASSES SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS.

SO MANY DIFFERENT AREAS AND THE EMPOWERMENT OF THE LATINO COMMUNITY, SOMEONE NEEDED TO TAKE THAT TASK ON AND PUSH THEM A LITTLE BIT.

I'M VERY HARD HEADED.

>> Juhanna: ARE YOU?

>> YES, I'M JUST LIKE MY MOTHER.

I ADMIT IT.

>> Juhanna: WE ALL ARE IN SOME WAYS.

>> YOU TELL ME NO AND I'M GOING TO FIND A WAY TO TURN THAT NO.

>> Juhanna: INTO A YES.

>> INTO A YES.

AND I LEARNED THAT AT EXCELLUS AT ONE OF THE TRAININGS I PARTICIPATED IN AND IF YOU CAN FIND THAT, A WAY TO MAKE SOMEONE THAT SAYS NO TO YOU, MAKE THEM SMILE AND THEY WILL TURN AROUND.

BE PERSISTENT, BE RESILIENT.

>> Juhanna: IT'S FUNNY HOW IN THESE SPACES OR OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN OR YOU HAVE EVEN EARNED IN SOME REGARDS, THEY TEACH YOU THINGS YOU JUST CONTINUE TO IF I CAN PICK UP ON AND CAN APPLY IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF YOUR LIFE.

>> YES.

>> Juhanna: BUT I WANT TO GO BACK TO SOMETHING YOU SAID.

YOU SAID THAT YOU NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A NEED, THAT THERE WAS A SPIRITED OF COLLABORATION THAT NEEDED TO COME TOGETHER BECAUSE THERE WERE PEOPLE MISSING OPPORTUNITIES.

THERE WERE PEOPLE IN NEED.

AND I THINK THAT'S SO INTERESTING BECAUSE AS YOU'VE SAID, YOU RECOGNIZE THAT IN YOUR LIFE.

THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT GAVE YOU A CHANCE, THAT TOOK A CHANCE ON YOU.

AND YOU PROBABLY COULD HAVE LOOKED AWAY AND LIKE LIVED YOUR LIFE.

>> BUT THAT'S NOT ME.

MENT GOT PUT ME IN THIS SPACE FOR A REASON AND I FEEL I'M A VERY POSITIVE PERSON AND I LIKE TO MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY IF I CAN MAKE YOU HAPPY BY HELPING YOU TURN THE LIGHTS ON IN YOUR HOUSE BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T KNOW HOW DO THAT, MAKE YOU SMILE, I WILL DO THAT FOR YOU.

>> Juhanna: DO YOU THINK THAT CAME FROM YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE OF GETTING ON A PLANE AT 13 AND COMING INTO NEW YORK, THE SOUTH BRONX, OH MY GOSH, MY MOTHER DOESN'T WANT ME TO GO TO NEW YORK CITY NOW AND I'M ALMOST 40.

I CAN'T IMAGINE BEING A TEENAGER AND MOVING THERE FROM A TOTALLY DIFFERENT PLACE.

BUT DOES THAT SOMETIMES HELP YOU RECOGNIZE THE NEEDS OF OTHER PEOPLE?

>> IT BRINGS ME BACK ALL THE TIME TO MY CHILDHOOD THAT I SAW MY MOM STRUGGLE.

STRUGGLE TO PUT FOOD ON OUR TABLE.

WORKING SO HARD ALL THE TIME.

THAT MADE ME PUSH EVEN FURTHER FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO HAVE FOOD ON THEIR TABLE.

>> Juhanna: BECAUSE YOU CAN'T TURN YOUR BACK ON WHAT YOU KNOW.

>> I CAN'T.

>> Juhanna: LIKE I SAID, THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE, WHO THEY SAY PULL YOURSELF UP BY YOUR BOOTSTRAP, SONIA.

ISN'T THAT WHAT WE ALL SHOULD BE DOING?

ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE FOR EVERYBODY.

>> THERE IS.

AND THAT'S WHAT I ALWAYS TELL THE LATINO COMMUNITY.

THERE IS SO MUCH OPPORTUNITY.

IT'S THERE FOR THE ASKING.

JUST LEARN HOW TO ASK.

DON'T BE ASHAME.

ANYBODY CAN START AT ZERO.

AND I ALWAYS TELL THEM YOU KNOW, LOOK AT ME.

I WAS 13 YEARS OLD.

I DID NOT SPEAK ENGLISH WHEN I CAME HERE YOU KNOW THE BASICS, SAY HELLO, HI, GOOD MORNING.

THAT'S ABOUT IT.

BUT YOU KNOW, YOU JUST HAVE TO PUSH YOURSELF A LITTLE BIT.

>> Juhanna: I LEARNED TO SPEAK SPANISH BECAUSE I HAD THE VERY OPPOSITE EXPERIENCE.

I WENT TO LIVE IN SPAIN FOR SIX MONTHS AND MY FAMILY THOUGHT I WAS CRAZY SO SHORTLY AFTER 9/11, VERY DIFFERENT TIME AND I MOVED IN WITH A FAMILY AND DIDN'T KNOW A WORD ASHED HAD TO LEARN HOW TO COMMUNICATE, HAD TO LEARN HOW TO ASK FOR THINGS.

THAT EXPERIENCE, MY ABILITY TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND HABLAMOS IN ESPANOL AND BE COMFORTABLE, I HAD TO HAVE THE EXPERIENCE OF PUTTING MYSELF IN ANOTHER PERSON'S SHOES.

>> HAD YOU TO LEARN ABOUT THE CULTURE.

>> Juhanna: I HAD TO LEARN ABOUT THE CULTURE.

>> NOT JUST ABOUT THE LANGUAGE BUT ABOUT THE CULTURE.

>> Juhanna: RIGHT.

AND I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE AS A COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY IN THE TIMES OVER THE LAST YEAR AND THE TENSION THAT EXISTED IN OUR COUNTRY AND HOW IT'S BROUGHT UP THE TOPIC OF RACE AND CULTURE AND BEING MORE INCLUSIVE, IT HAS MADE ME THINK ABOUT NOT JUST THE BLACK RACIAL EXPERIENCE BUT WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES WITHIN OUR COUNTRY ARE FACING AND THE CHALLENGES THAT ALSO NEED TO BE TALKED ABOUT.

>> WE MAY HAVE DIFFERENT LANGUAGES, DIFFERENT CUSTOMS, WE CELEBRATE DIFFERENTLY.

WE ARE NOT SO DIFFERENT.

WE ARE HUMAN BEINGS.

WE ARE BORN THE SAME WAY AND WE WILL DIE THE SAME WAY.

DIFFERENT TIMES IN YOUR LIFE SO WE SHOULD EMBRACE EACH OTHER MORE.

AND THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT, THE EMBRACING OF THE DIFFERENT CULTURES CELEBRATE EACH OTHER.

>> Juhanna: CELEBRATE EACH OTHER.

>> CELEBRATE THE SAD PARTS OF OUR LIVES BUT ALSO CELEBRATE THE HAPPY PARTS, THE HAPPY TIMES.

>> Juhanna: ABSOLUTELY.

WHAT IS IT IN THE WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING?

NOW HAVE YOU RETIRED FROM EXCELLUS BLUECROSS/BLUESHIELD.

YOU PRIMARILY ARE JUST WORKING AS THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE LATINO ASSOCIATION OF MOHAWK VALLEY.

WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT PEOPLE TO REMEMBER ABOUT YOUR WORK?

>> I WANT THEM TO REMEMBER THAT ONCE YOU-- WHEN YOU FEEL YOU MADE IT TO WHERE YOU WANTED TO BE, ALWAYS REMEMBER TO GIVE BACK.

REMEMBER YOUR NEIGHBOR.

REMEMBER AN OLDER PERSON, A YOUNG PERSON.

OUR YOUNG PEOPLE NEED SO MUCH HELP SO MUCH LOVE, SO MUCH UNDERSTANDING BECAUSE WE WERE THERE ONCE.

WE HAD THE SAME IDEAS.

WE HAD THE SAME PASSION ABOUT WHERE ITS POLITICS, EDUCATION, WORK.

WE HAD THE SAME, JUST DIFFERENT TIMES FOR EACH OF US: THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO REMEMBER, OR TO BE REMEMBERED BY.

>> Juhanna: AND YOU NOT ONLY DO YOU KNOW THIS BUT YOU ARE ALSO DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

AND YOU ARE SO HUMBLE THE WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING IS SO POWERFUL AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT WORK IN A COMMUNITY LIKE UTICA THAT IS BECOMING KNOWN FOR THE GREAT VAST DIVERSITY THAT IS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

I WANT TO VENTURE OVER AND HANG OUT WITH YOU ALL.

>> I WOULD LIKE THAT.

I WOULD LOVE THAT.

>> Juhanna: YEAH, AND IT'S GOOD BECAUSE THERE ARE POCKETS IN CENTRAL NEW YORK COMMUNITY OF GREAT PEOPLE DOING GREAT WORK AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU TOOK THE TIME TO COME AND SIT DOWN AND LET US GET "BEHIND THE WOMAN" A LITTLE BIT AND LEARN MORE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR STORY AND THE WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING.

SO THANK YOU.

(SPEAKING SPANISH) THANK YOU SONIA FOR ALL YOU DO FOR THE COMMUNITY.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO VIEW THIS SHOW AGAIN, YOU CAN VISIT US ONLINE AT WCNY.ORG/"BEHIND THE WOMAN."

MY NAME IS Dr. JUHANNA ROGERS AND ON BEHALF OF THE "BEHIND THE WOMAN" TEAM, THANK YOU.

AND BUENOS NOCHES >> NEXT WEEK ON "BEHIND THE WOMAN...".

>> MY NAME IS NAJAH ZAAEED.

AND I'M THE ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT SUNY OSWEGO IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PROMOTION AND WELLNESS.

I'M ALSO PRACTICING REAL ESTATE AND I WOULD HAVE MY CLIENTS WITH ME AND WE WEREN'T ALLOWED TO GO INTO SOME HOMES.

I'VE HAD EXPERIENCES THAT LED ME TO WHO I AM TODAY TO BECOME AN ADVOCATE.

WHEN AM I GOING TO STOP DOING THIS.

SUNY OSWEGO REALLY PROMOTES THE NEED TO DO SERVICE, WHICH IS NOT JUST PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT BUT ALSO WHAT ARE WE DOING FOR THE COMMUNITY.