Becky’s Fund Welcomes Amanda

Hola! My name is Amanda Paulino. I was born and raised in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, but I recently moved to DC after graduating from college! This May, I got my Bachelor of Arts in English and Psychology from Goucher College in Towson, Maryland.

Coming from the Dominican Republic, I was raised in a society heavily marked by machismo, in which men felt like they could do whatever they pleased with their spouses because they felt entitled to them. Women dying at the hands of their significant others, unfortunately, is a common occurrence. I have always wanted to make a positive change in others’ lives: When I was eight, I told my third-grade class I wanted to be a women’s rights activist when I grew up. My interest in working with survivors of intimate partner abuse stems from my belief that each and every survivor has the capacity to break the cycle and transform their lives. I am here because I want to make a difference: I want to educate others and change the way they think, and I want to change lives for the better.

I hope that this internship gives me the knowledge and insight required to work at a similar program back home. While I can recall various programs in the past that sought to bring awareness to domestic violence, none of them have been particularly successful. Once I gain the experience required, I hope to change the dialogue in Santo Domingo.