Roca: "The Rock"
Long a gateway community for immigrants and refugees, Chelsea is one of the state’s poorest cities, with a changing racial and cultural makeup. Roughly half of its residents identify themselves as Hispanic/Latino. Southeast Asians, African Americans, Eastern Europeans, and small numbers of other ethnic groups make up the rest of the population. Chelsea’s stark statistics point to the reasons for Roca’s existence: a poverty rate four times the state average, a high school dropout rate three times the state average, and teen pregnancy twice the state average. Violence is a major problem: more than 10 percent of public school students report being involved in gangs.

This is a side of American life that many Saint Anselm students never see—whether they were born in this country or not. Drawn to Roca (Spanish for "rock") because of its success in helping to improve the lives of Latinos her own age, Echeverry brought enthusiasm and empathy to the job along with computer and research skills. At the same time, she has expanded her experience of other cultures and her knowledge of the issues of immigration and acculturation.

"I learned about the deeply rooted and unspoken discrimination that still exists," she says.

Roca serves more than 600 adolescents and young adults directly, with programs that promote substance abuse prevention, family planning, education, leadership development, and community building—and it touches the lives of hundreds more. Working on Roca’s outcomes evaluation project, Echeverry was not on the "front lines" with the street outreach workers, counselors, and advocates. Her job was tracking outcomes: data collection, data analysis, and report writing. Although her information generally came from questionnaires and forms, at the end of the summer she interviewed a dozen gang members and documented their answers about involvement with the organization. Her research is used to support grant proposals that will help Roca continue its efforts.

"I came home feeling that indirectly with my number crunching, I somehow helped others have a better opportunity in this country, and that is a wonderful thing," Echeverry says. "I think that deep inside, everyone has that desire to save the world, and we all do it differently depending on our gifts, character, and skills. At Roca, I have found a place of substance. It is a place where my work is needed and counts towards better serving the most disenfranchised parts of the population."

Although it was not in her job description, the outgoing senior did a lot of translating and interpreting. One of the most valuable aspects of the Roca experience was getting to see conflict resolution and negotiation in action. At the end of one long day in the office, she attended a three-hour meeting of the district attorney, chief of police, parole and probation officers, state youth services staff, Roca outreach workers, and gang members—where she skillfully translated for both English and Spanish speakers. It was a dynamic example of peace negotiations, and might just be a preview of what her career will hold.

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