Veronica Maldonado

I am born in Hartford, CT from Puerto Rican parents. Being raised at the height of the gang wars in the 90s in Hartford, I saw and faced many life challenges. The violence I saw in my community and the injustice made me what to learn ways to give back to my community in a positive way. While I attended Bulkeley High School I volunteered to work with youth in my community with organizations like Latino Contra Sida and the Hispanic Health Council teaching high school students about positive behaviors. I graduated from Bulkeley High School. Years later I went on to do volunteer work with The Connecticut Institute for Community Development for the Puerto Rican Parade (CICD) for four years serving as their treasurer.

I went on to be the first generation to graduate from college. I have a bachelor’s degree in science with a concentration in Human Services from Springfield College. I have two master’s degrees, my first is in science with a concentration in Organizational Management and Leadership from Springfield College, and my second master’s degree is in Psychology from Capella University. I also wrote a thesis, and the focus of my thesis was: Determining whether Programs that are being offered to Risk Urban Youth from the ages of 18-25 in the City of Hartford are Working to Reduce Violence. While going to college full-time I made it my passion to help Hartford youth as my career, by working for local nonprofit organizations including Our Piece of the Pie/ Hartford Youth Service Corps, Compass Youth Collaborative/Peacebuilders, and Capital City Education Alliance as the Program Director. Working for Compass Peacebuilders, my position as the Program Coordinator was within the “Street” component, which was a case management, youth development, and crisis response program for at-risk youth in the city of Hartford. I was on-call 24 hours a day, responding to crises where I would assist with victim services and de-escalating violent confrontations.

I have been honored by the CICD with The Maria C. Sanchez President Award for “Outstanding Contributions for Community Development,” I was awarded by the Hartford Business Journal 40 Under Forty award for 2018, and I am in the 2023 Quest Cohort of the Greater Hartford Leadership. Currently, I am the Program Director for the Youth Advocate Programs, Inc. in the City of Hartford CT. Youth Advocate Programs, Inc. also known as YAP. YAP is an evidence and community-based organization. YAP is new to Hartford, CT; however, the organization has been around for 45-plus years. YAP works closely with CSCD and Hartford Juvenile Probation.