Bertha-Elena Rojas, Psy.D.; M.Ed.
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Bertha-Elena is a fervent believer in the power of our Humanity, as manifested through our natural capacity for empathy, adaptation and relational competence, and our ability to learn from and navigate cultural contexts. Her community impact work is branded through the leverage, growth and empowerment of cultural and linguistically diverse social capital.
BackgroundBertha-Elena is a native from Caracas, Venezuela. She came to the United States almost 30 years ago to work in community mental health after completing her undergraduate studies in Psychology. Since then, she has worked in numerous settings and with diverse populations, utilizing her expertise in psycholinguistics, neuropsychology, education and school leadership. Through her work, she also became experienced in collaborative leadership and effecting change through community partnerships.
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EducationBertha-Elena earned her Licenciate in Psychology Degree at the Universidad Catolica Andres Bello in Caracas. She completed her Doctorate in Psychology (Psy.D.) at the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology (currently William James College) in Boston. She also earned a Master Degree in Education, specialized in School Administration and Leadership at Worcester State University. She is also a trained Immunity to Change (ITC) Facilitator. Bertha-Elena remains an avid learner and is passionate about bilingual education and equity in education reform.
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Systems ExperienceWorking in multiple settings and diverse populations from early childhood through the elderly has been a source of great learning and joy for Bertha-Elena. The intersection of her work across multiple systems of care, including community mental health, health care, inpatient psychiatry, neuro-rehabilitation, public education, community outreach and private practice has shaped her broad skill-set as a system's thinker and strategist, and as an effective collaborative leader. In her current work, she remains engaged with multiple systems and community stakeholders.
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LeadershipHer direct experience as an immigrant and bilingual learner inspired Bertha-Elena to become an expert in Second Language Acquisition and Bilingual Education. She has been recognized for her work as the Manager of English Learners in the Worcester Public Schools, a post that she held for four and a half years, for her deep commitment to the advancement of English learners and bilingual students, immigrant and refugee students and for her efforts to promote effective parent engagement with parents and guardians from diverse populations and with language barriers.
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Social Enterprise and Community Innovation
Bertha-Elena is developing frameworks to promote diversity, equity and inclusion by mobilizing grass-root efforts to showcase the excellence and contributions given by diverse populations. She is committed to supporting sustainable education and work opportunities for immigrants. She is also invested in working with individuals achieve healthy lifestyles and reach their goals for improvement and self-actualization wherever they are in their life journey.