Finding Our Voices Today

Mirtica Aldave moved to the United States from Peru with her family at a very young age. Her parents and their strong family values upheld Peruvian traditions and customs and little did she know, growing up in a bilingual home would shape her entire career. As a bilingual educator and cultural researcher, she has taught in the Hartford School system for many years impacting her students lives. As an advocate for the Latino community, she has applied for and received numerous grants including Fund for Teachers, which she has received twice. Mirtica has traveled extensively engaging in educational research and for her own personal enrichment. Additionally, she works with immigrants teaching English as a Second Language and assists with their pathway to citizenship. In her spare time, she is a dedicated and loving mother, sister, aunt and friend.

Ballet Folklorico de las Americas (Diana, Paola, & Kelly) are committed to educating their diverse audiences through dance, music and sheer enthusiasm to be with people. These fabulously talented women are sisters from Colombia who arrived at different points in their lives, all with a unique focus, but are committed to teaching and learning all while spreading the beauty of dance as a way to tell stories. When they aren’t dancing or collaborating with their numerous community partners, they are teaching English, running language businesses, and studying for their medical board certification. Their goal to educate through arts is important in our world and engaging the community is their #1 goal.

Lina Motta is a trailblazer who naturally seeks connections with others and finds arenas for learning on her many travels in the world. Arriving in the U.S. as an au pair from Colombia, she has seized many opportunities in the academic and professional world.

A natural teacher and a lifelong learner, she has tutored English as a second language while promoting social emotional health and building confidence in her students.

As an attendee and winner of the Global Impact Challenge at the United Nations Youth Assembly program for Sustainable Development Goals, she co-founded a nonprofit organization focused on creating learning experiences for youth about essential solutions to heal the planet.

Recently graduating with a Master’s degree in Environmental Management, she is now working for a scientific corporation in Colombia as a chief sustainability officer, collaborating closely with industry leaders on corporate sustainability initiatives. In her free time, she loves yoga and spending time with family and friends.

Ewurakua Dawson-Amoah is an artist with a rich cultural heritage as the daughter of Ghanaian and St. Lucian immigrants. She grew up in a predominantly white neighborhood, which shaped her approach to storytelling from a very young age. As a twin and the youngest of four siblings, her early choices in high school significantly influenced her path. Today, her passion for social justice and racial equality drives her work as a director, writer, and poet. In 2020, she and her sister Ewuradjoa founded The Melacast Network, a platform connecting BIPOC directors with BIPOC actors and crew. They are deeply committed to impacting and changing what true diversity and inclusion looks like for BIPOC creatives.

Yelena Klompus came to the U.S. with a purpose. In an effort to keep her family safe and raise her son with better access to healthcare, she has been able to use her academic credentials and professional experience from her native country, Russia, to create impactful library programs in the U.S. As the Manager of Multicultural and English Language Literacy Programs at the Ferguson Library in Stamford, CT, she has been able to connect thousands of immigrants and English language learners to programs and resources that provide a pathway to self-sufficiency. She is empathetic to newcomers but is pragmatic in her approach in pointing people in a direction that helps them build confidence with their English skills and connects them to the community.

Rajkumari Thakur is from India and has been in the U.S. for 6 years. With an educational background and passion for marketing and business, she pivoted into education and helped with running a school and supervising staff prior to getting married and moving to the U.S. While in the U.S. she has lived on both the east and west coast and has been successful meeting new people and creating a community for her and her family. She is excited for new opportunities that lie ahead for her as she gets ready to reenter the career track. After all this time, she still prioritizes and speaks to her family in India every day.

Julia Mesquita is from Brazil and has been in the U.S. for 6 years. She is the FINDING OUR VOICES TODAY podcast Social Media Coordinator who designs the weekly interview posts on Tuesday & Saturday that you see on our Instagram and Facebook pages. She is super talented and we are so happy to work with her and have learned so much together.

She is a proud graduate of Norwalk Community College and is currently working as a legal intern and at a job in retail. Her plan is to attend college and pursue a degree in Political Science with the longer term goal of attending law school. Her motivation for this career is deep seated in the experience she and her family have endured. There is no doubt this intelligent and motivated young woman will reach her academic and career goals!

Marilyn Collins has committed her entire professional career to teaching literacy. Starting at the elementary level while living in VT, she decided to return to her beloved NY and begin working with adult learners. Although she officially retired a year ago in 2023 after a career spanning 40+ years, she continues to teach and mentor adult students. With an expertise in basic literacy, she also has extensive training and experience in teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) and has trained and prepared hundreds of tutors while in her role as education and curriculum coordinator. Marilyn continues to make significant impact in many lives and as an avid poetry lover she enjoys teaching writing and reading, and often weaves some of her favorite poets into her lesson planning. All this while being a loving and deeply engaged grandma to her beloved 4 grandchildren.

Mike Gopinathan, Ph.D., who is from India, is a true energizer bunny working diligently for his family and creating a legacy that has impacted his colleagues and overall community. As he sits on the cusp of retirement, he has enjoyed a successful career as an engineer and manager with Eversource and now will focus on his three international businesses. Mike has had a focused career impacting many in his organization with his talent and expertise along with his commitment to leadership and DEI initiatives. Additionally, his academic career has been equally as impressive as he has earned multiple master’s degrees and most recently his Ph.D. An avid tennis and pickleball player he is a role model of living life to the fullest!

Mariia Vintoniak is from Ukraine and was a working nurse before she arrived to the U.S. just 6 years ago. She has worked diligently to improve her English and learn more grammar and language skills while raising her two young girls and supporting her family’s needs. Her focus on creating a pathway to work was laser focused as she worked in a Ukrainian daycare and juggled the demands of being a working mother. Later it took a turn to what she feels most passionate about when she completed the certified nurses’ aide training at a local community college in Fairfield County. She was hired instantly and able to put her previous work experience and newly learned training skills to work! For her this is just the beginning, as her goal is to eventually continue with nursing school and keep moving her career forward.

We continue to pray for her family and loved ones in Ukraine.