Meet Carolina, Our New Community Connector & Public Ally!

I am very excited to be joining the Ex Fabula team while serving through Public Allies Milwaukee! I started my mission here as a Public Ally to expand representation of diverse groups of people and uplift their very unique experiences. My passion for equity started far before college. I’m a first generation Chilean-American and grew up in a bilingual household. My parents raised me with strong ethics and compassion for others.  Naturally I developed my desires early on.

I recently graduated this past December with a BFA in film, video and new genres from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. My time there really opened my eyes to the injustices that occur on a personal and systemic level and how the media chooses to portray these nuances.

Being a creative and cinephile has given me the ability to formulate narratives and concepts that characterize oddities that make up our daily lives and the complex fragility of the human condition.

I grew up on literature. My mom would tell me that I never threw away a book when I was a child. I read a lot of classics in high school and as of late I’ve been dabbling in more contemporary feminist literature and poetry. A favorite I recently finished is ‘Citizen’ by Claudia Rankine. Look her up!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Public Allies, it is an AmeriCorps program that brings together young, social justice-oriented folks for a ten month long apprenticeship that builds sustainable leadership. Currently my Public Allies core class consists of around 45 people all dispersed in different non-profit organizations and schools throughout the city. We all come from different backgrounds and are at different points in our lives, but we share the same end goal, which is equity and social justice.

Milwaukee is near and dear to me as it has truly shaped my young adulthood.  I’m so inspired by the tenacity and compassion I see from my peers and other activists.  There is something really special constantly happening here in terms of communities and individuals taking action in beneficial programming and creative outlets.  I’m looking forward to expanding community connections while at Ex Fabula and hearing the diverse array of stories that make up our city.  I feel strongly that stories are not only a way to heal and restore, but also an art form that can be practiced by anyone, in various formats.  Stories are a form of resistance.