With over 15 years of experience working with low-income families, especially those who have children with disablities, Martina Cruz was selected as one of five Women's Pipeline for Change Research Fellow Research Fellows at UMASS Boston's Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy precisely for her dedication to issues in underserved communities. Originally from the Dominican Republic, Martina was driven by her values to work on women's, immigrant, labor, and education issues after realizing that to "love your neighbor" means changing society for the better. She became a parent activist strongly advocating for quality education in Lawrence, Massachusetts where she served in the School Committee for three terms. Martina's research question focuses on the political motivations of women of color, wondering why more women of color community leaders are not engaged in the political process. She is mainly interested in how values impact entry to the political arena.

To read more about Martina and her research project, please go to: www.umb.edu/cwppp/pipeline/fellows/martina_cruz