UIW & UN: Reflections on Global Advocacy and Justice for Women

As I sit down to reflect on Women’s History Month, I find myself looking at my career not as a static list of titles, but as a continuous journey of learning and adaptation. From Texas to Mexico and back to Texas—completing my degrees at UIW and ultimately obtaining an MBA in Data Analytics—the common thread has always been a hunger for growth and the courage to pivot.

Now, as the founder of Muzzi QS, the “why” behind my work remains deeply rooted in my time at the University of the Incarnate Word. In the high-paced world of sales and business strategy, it is easy to lose sight of the human element. But UIW taught me to be the “Word in the World.” My participation in the Young Women’s Global Leadership Program was a transformative chapter that taught me how data, advocacy, and compassion must converge to create real justice.

This blog post is a tribute to that legacy. It’s about the “seeds” planted years ago that continue to bloom in my professional life today. It is a reflection on how we, as women, must continue to learn, lead, and lift others as we climb.

The story of the Young Women’s Global Leadership Program (YWGLP) is a testament to the power of “connection” over “charity.” While we celebrate a quarter-century of global impact in 2026, the program’s current structure took root in 2001 under the wing of Women’s Global Connection—a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word. Formerly known as Girls Leadership San Antonio, the YWGLP was born from a radical vision: that leadership is not an innate trait for a chosen few, but a skill that can be nurtured in every young woman, regardless of her socio-economic level or academic standing. (There I am in the blue shirt with glasses in the far left).

Today, the program is a vibrant, girl-led ecosystem involving over 80 high school scholars from the USA, Kenya, Turkey, Kosovo, and Uganda. It is a space where 9th through 12th graders transcend borders, meeting monthly at the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) and via Zoom to dismantle the walls between cultures. Under the steady guidance of the Ettling Center for Civic Leadership and Sustainability, these scholars spend eight months exploring leadership development, cross-cultural awareness, and the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

From our local campus in San Antonio to collaborative partners at Chango Secondary School in Kenya and Holy Cross Lakeview in Uganda, the YWGLP is sowing “seeds of compassion” that have now sprouted in over 30 countries. We aren’t just a club; we are a global fellowship of advocates working in solidarity with communities in Kaberamaido, Tororo, Jinja, Kampala, and beyond. We are the “Word in the World,” continuing the mission of our founders by fostering a culture of empathy and sustainable leadership.

In the photos from my participation in 2024, you see me in my blue shirt and glasses, with an intensity that only a deadline and a passion for justice can produce. We were preparing for the 68th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68). The theme for that year was arguably the most pressing of our time: the empowerment of women and the elimination of poverty.

In the YWGLP, we don’t just study poverty in the abstract; we look at its structural roots. My journey in 2024 was defined by the realization that poverty is often a symptom of a lack of access—specifically, the “Digital Divide.” I am incredibly proud to be part of a program that doesn’t just identify problems but solves them. Two years prior, our members identified that peers in Uganda and Kenya lacked the technology needed to participate in the global conversation. They didn’t just write a paper about it; they applied for a grant from the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word and purchased laptops for their peers.

By 2024, that initiative had evolved. I had the privilege of seeing our high school scholars take the lead by offering instructional workshops in cybersecurity to their peers in Kenya. Sitting alongside mentors like Sister Martha Kirk, CCVI and Dr. Erika Arredondo-Haskins, both in the photo above –  I realized that my role was to be a bridge. Whether we were discussing how the lack of trees in Kenya forces young women to travel dangerous distances for firewood—pulling them out of school—or how cybersecurity knowledge protects a girl’s future, our mission was clear: we were at the UN to prove that youth-led initiatives are the engine of global change.

As we look back from the vantage point of 2026, it is clear that our work at the United Nations is a lifelong commitment to justice. The YWGLP members remain at the forefront of advocating for others and the environment, recognizing the deep interconnectedness between social justice and environmental sustainability. The trees planted at Chango Secondary School—66 seedlings toward a goal of 100—are more than just a climate project; they are a justice project. They are a way to keep girls safe and in school, proving that environmental care is directly tied to the empowerment of women.

This legacy of justice lives on in every presentation given at the UN. By focusing on the “feminization of poverty” and the “access to justice” we are ensuring that action isn’t just a document, but a lived reality. We are teaching the next generation of women from San Antonio to Kosovo that they have a seat at the table—and if there isn’t a seat, they have the leadership skills to build a bigger table.

The mentorship of figures like Sister Martha, who embodies the spirit of peace and justice, and Dr. Erika Haskins, who champions our academic and civic potential, ensures that this program will flourish for another 25 years. We are fostering a culture of caring that inspires positive change far beyond the halls of UIW. We are global citizens, we are environmental advocates, and we are the proof that when you invest in a young woman’s leadership, you change the world.

To the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, thank you for your vision. To the Ettling Center, thank you for your platform. And to every young woman to speak truth to power: thank you for your courage.

We are the “Word in the World,” and our story is far from over.

To celebrate, here are 25 lessons I’ve gathered from the UIW YWGLP legacy:

1. Solidarity over charity.
2. Listen twice as much as you speak.
3. Research is a form of love.
4. Compassion requires action.
5. Your title matters less than your impact.
6. Local problems often have global roots.
7. Never underestimate a Sister with a mission.
8. Mentorship is a two-way street.
9. Technology must be equitable.
10. Poverty is a policy choice.
11. Persistence is the key to advocacy.
12. Celebrate every small win.
13. Collaboration beats competition.
14. Data tells a story; people live it.
15. Justice is a marathon.
16. Be the “Word in the World.”
17. Empowerment is contagious.
18. Wear your heart on your sleeve.
19. Respect the elders; empower the youth.
20. Diversity is our greatest strength.
21. Sustainability is a moral imperative.
22. Speak truth to power.
23. Keep your heart open.
24. Education is a bridge.
25. The future is culminated where both women and men are equally loved and respected.