We are kicking off a blog series getting to know the team at Stand for Children Colorado. This week's question and answer is with our newest team member and parent organizer, Ivana Bejaran. Ivana was raised in the Dominican Republic and moved to the United States to attend college in New York. She went to Manhatanville College where she studied International Relations and Communications. After she graduated, she traveled around the country for a year working on different issue based campaigns with Change Corps. She now works with Denver parents to help support thier child's education, with a focus on promoting early literacy.  

What makes you most excited about your work at Stand?

I am excited to work with parents. My mom did so much for me while I was growing up, especially with learning to read. I want to make sure all parents have access to the resources they need to help their kids thrive. I am also excited to help empower the community to take action and get involved in the issues that they care about. Of course, I am also excited about supporting kids in their education.

Why did you choose to work at Stand?

I chose Stand because the community needs to play a role keeping the government in check.  It is their job is to listen to the many perspectives from the citizens who they represent. Sometimes the community members do not know how to communicate with decision makers and that is where I come in as an organizer. We bridge that gap and amplify the voices of those who have not been heard. I also believe that the future of our country and the world depends on the education we are giving our kids today!

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

As I child I always wanted to be a singer and an activist. I know those two don’t necessarily go together but I wanted to sing to raise money for causes that I cared about and continue the great work so many amazing organizations are doing on the ground. For a couple of years I also wanted to be a lawyer… that dream died pretty quickly.

Where are we most likely to find you when you are not at work?

Either at my house playing with my puppy or at a karaoke bar!