Scholars of Color- Farhana Zafrin Noriega
What is Scholars of Color?
It is a platform in which scholars of color are purposefully celebrated. It’s a space where scholars of color are showcased front and center. It is a digital space where we feel empowered and resilient. Let us get to know each other. Let us cheer each other on AND show the world what we have to offer.
Let us now welcome Farhana Zafrin Noriega to the Scholars of Color Space!
Name: Farhana Zafrin Noriega
Gender Pronouns: She/Her/Herself/যেমন
What do you currently do for work and/or school?: Currently, I am a wraparound clinician, where I provide intensive trauma-focused therapeutic services to at-risk children and their families. My work focuses on infants/children and their families that are in the process of reunification, being detained or within the foster care system, etc. All in all, I actively work to lessen traumas each child has faced while advocating for their well-being and personal growth. My next endeavor will be to get my doctoral degree once I've completed my hours to be a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.
Without positions or titles, how would you describe yourself?: Activist. Advocate. Committed. Influential. Empowering. Fighter. Go-Getter. Genuine. Motivated. Non-Conformist. Strong.
What are you passionate about?: I am passionate about helping people work past the exponentially negative hurdles that life has dealt them so they can receive the necessary tools and proper help so they can see their true potential and overcome any further hurdle. I am driven in working with children and families who are often neglected, struggling to gain their ground but require that push or assistance in order to find their path. I strive to work on shedding light to those who fall through the cracks and are often overlooked and are in desperate need of a helping hand. I aim to help raise the heads of the children and families that simply need someone to stand by their side and help them get past this momentary unfavorable time in their lives.
Why is the representation of scholars of color important to you?: Being someone of color, you realize very early on that things do not come as easily as you would like. As a representation of Scholars of Colors, I want to depict and emphasize that breaking that glass ceiling is very possible---with copious amounts of dead-ends, countless failing step-backs and sleepless nights. It’s only after those hurdles are we able to really uncover our true potential. We are all cut from the same cloth; the hands that life deals us are what separates us, but the way we interpret and experience them, along with how we put these pieces together is what continues to set us apart. As long as one has the key ingredients of ambition, drive, passion and persistence, our growth is endless. It’s never too late to develop the stamina and endurance for the long-distance journey of life, as that expedition of going for your goals will be painstakingly lengthy.
If people are interested in getting connected to you, how can they?: I can be found on IG: lumina_23, LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fzahmed235/ and/or email: Farhana.noriega23@gmail.com
Anything else you would like us to know?: I have gone through several personal, academic and professional setbacks that should have squashed any further endeavors that I have taken and achieved. The course I have chosen to walk in life (along with my beliefs, actions, mentality) has by no means been conventional nor what is considered “proper” or “appropriate” for me. I have faced struggles and challenges every step of the way and had me questioning everything. During the moments where I struggled to see any positivity or strength to continue, I reminded myself of my proudest accomplishments… the perseverance that paid off when I finally got a non-responsive client to talk, the moment when a client achieved the milestones in their treatment plan, when I achieved common ground with particularly tricky clients or when my youngest client’s sweet disposition came out from underneath the tough demeanor he displayed as he asked to hold my hand while we walked to the playroom. These moments continue to drive my daily work and continue to motivate me to be the advocate I am today...I would not be the person I am now if I had not experienced my set-backs or failures as they have shaped my will, actions and my overall self.
Thank you Farhana for sharing space with us!
Stay tuned everyone for more Scholars of Color profiles. Interested in being showcased yourself? Please email the Scholars of Color team at scholarsofcolor@reclaimingyourhappiness.com and we will get back to you shortly.
