Redefining home, one community at a time

Escrito por: Alexa Figueroa 🇸🇻

Headshot of Dulce Ortiz. (Emelyn Gomez)

65 miles from College Park is Harpers Ferry, a historic district full of rivers and hiking trails. It’s where Dulce Ortiz grew up y es uno de los primeros lugares que consideró su hogar.

Ortiz grew up in a predominantly-white town in West Virginia and attended private catholic schools, one being in Frederick, Md., to find a better education.

“In West Virginia, it's more rural and the people are a little more close minded,” she said. “Going to these schools, I’ve always looked for that sense of community.”

She always knew that attending college would be her next step. Ortiz's interest in true crime inspired her to choose criminology and criminal justice as her major.

Una vez que ingresó a UMD, ella pudo encontrar pasantías a través del College Park Scholars International Studies program. She took the leap and applied to the FBI Honors Internship Program.

After she was accepted, she began a four-year journey of hard work and dedication, characteristics que ella adoptó de su padre.

“I'm walking in the spaces that I had dreamed of,” Ortiz said.

Photo of the Ortiz Family. (Courtesy of Dulce Ortiz)

During her freshman year, The Latinx Student Union's (LSU) piñatas y piñacoladas event was Ortiz's first experience with the Latino community, y era todo lo que ella imaginó.

After the event, she applied to the E-board and was chosen to serve as the retention and recruitment chair. That same semester, she started working as a food critic for La Voz Latina. 

After feeling like she finally found her community, things began to rapidly crumble. 

She became LSU’s vice president during her junior year. Despite the increased responsibilities that come with the position, she was getting less work y el ambiente empezó a sentirse negativo.

“Something that I loved so dearly was starting to turn sour on me,” she said. “That whole idea of imposter syndrome started playing out in those spaces where I should have fit in.” 

During this time, Ortiz turned to La Voz Latina for community support.

She then became the Editor-in-Chief, where she aimed to lead with the kindness and empathy she saw in her mother as a leader.

Ortiz’s journey of self-discovery involved constantly exploring what community meant to her, and seeking a new sense of home.

“I thought it just meant finding people that looked like you… I had the realization that I was looking for something that didn't exist,” said Ortiz. “In reality, I had already found that community…They were the people that were supporting me with everything that I did all along.”

In the midst of every storm Ortiz faced, sus padres fueron un apoyo constante.

“I'm proud of all my accomplishments because it's a reflection of my parents, and I thank them," said Ortiz. “All these achievements aren't just my own, they're theirs too.” 

“Hoy celebramos mucho más que un título. Celebramos tu esfuerzo, tu dedicación y la hermosa persona en la que te has convertido. Me siento profundamente orgullosa de tus logros académicos, pero aún más de tu crecimiento emocional, tu valentía y tu corazón. Sigue soñando y creciendo y nunca olvides lo capaz que eres.” - Maria Gonzales Ortiz