A Latina Judge’s Journey of Purpose & Community Impact
Building confidence from the bench to building dreams
Growing up in Puerto Rico in a home where poverty was a constant and English was a distant sound; I never imagined the path that would eventually lead me to serve as a New York State Supreme Court Judge. My story didn’t begin with privilege—it began with perseverance. As a teenager, I moved to New York City with the dream of becoming a flight attendant. That dream evolved when I realized that learning English and supporting my family required a different kind of strength and focus. I enrolled in college during the evenings, worked during the day, and committed myself to excellence—one course, one paycheck, and one goal at a time.
Education became my gateway. I earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in criminal justice from John Jay College, and eventually, my Juris Doctor from Antioch School of Law. Each step forward was a declaration: that our circumstances do not define us, and that our legacy is built one determined decision at a time.
The realization
I didn’t know I was becoming a Latina entrepreneur when I retired from the bench. I simply knew I had more to give. The years I spent as a lawyer and judge exposed me to a silent epidemic in the legal profession—brilliant attorneys who lacked the confidence to rise, to speak, to lead. Many were women. Many were people of color. I knew I had to do something. That’s how my next chapter began—with Confidence with Attitude, now currently in the process of rebranding to Own Your Confident Edge, a coaching and mentorship platform designed to empower attorneys and professional women to succeed without fear or burnout.
Through my coaching, I help attorneys and professionals rewrite their stories—from self-doubt to self-trust. I offer mindset strategies, productivity tools, and mentorship grounded in both personal resilience and legal expertise. But most importantly, I offer a mirror to remind them who they truly are powerful advocates with a purpose.
There were moments in my life when people questioned whether I belonged—in law school, in the courtroom, even on the bench. I faced bias, skepticism, and the exhausting pressure of having to prove myself again and again. But each challenge became part of the legacy I now pass on to others. I remind my clients that resistance doesn’t mean stop—it means sharpen. It means to grow stronger.
Community is at the heart of everything I do. During my time as a Judge, I had the privilege of mentoring attorneys and professionals across the United States. Today, as the CEO of Total Faith Network, a streaming platform, founder of Own Your Confident Edge, and an active public speaker, I continue to help women redefine success on their own terms. I believe true leadership isn’t just measured by what you achieve—it’s defined by who you uplift along the way.
If I could speak to every young Latina stepping into a courtroom, a boardroom, or a dream, I would say: You belong here. Lead with confidence, stand on purpose, and never forget where you came from—because your story is someone else’s survival guide.
My vision is clear: to build a world where Latina voices are not only heard but amplified. Where our legacy is not just in what we endured, but in what we created—for ourselves and for the generations behind us.
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