Early Life & Academic Career
Even though I was born in Dallas, Texas, my mother returned to her hometown of San Miguel, El Salvador during my infancy, where I lived through parts of the 1980s Civil War in extreme poverty in a house next to railroad tracks.
In 1991, my mother made the decision to immigrate for a second time to the United States and assigned my grandmother, who passed away in February 2022, as my primary caregiver. In 1992, I reunited with my mother in Houston, Texas, where I settled and entered the public school system as an English as a Second Language (ESL) student in Kashmere Gardens and Aldine school districts. While navigating through my academic and personal journey, at age 7, I also became one of the primary caregivers for my younger sister, which further allowed me to develop leadership traits that I have used for personal growth and development and help guide others along the way to address complex social problems. By academic metrics, I was not considered an honors student until I completed my bachelor’s degree and graduated with Cum Laude Honors.
Today, I hold a Ph.D. in Urban Planning and Environmental Policy, Master of Public Administration (MPA), and possess a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Criminal Justice with a Minor in Political Science.
Humanitarian Efforts
In addition, throughout my life, I have served in various leadership roles with numerous community, public service, and educational organizations, including the City of Houston Super Neighborhood Alliance, HISD, San Miguel, El Salvador Community, the Star of Hope, and Texas Southern University. For example, I launched the initiative to broadcast the City of Houston Super Neighborhood Alliance board meetings, was recognized in the Houston Chronicle with a half-page article highlighting my achievements and improvements at HISD Title I schools, have organized annual food and toy drives, recruited and managed teams of volunteers, directed activities to prepare 1000+ meals per month, designed and deployed marketing initiatives to promote the missions and values of numerous nonprofit organizations, and was appointed to the TSU Board of Regents by the Governor of Texas.
I am passionate about driving positive change in both our local and global communities and have been recognized for my achievements. The City of Houston proclaimed December 15, 2020 as Juan Antonio Sorto Day as a result of my efforts. In 2023, I was named Runner of the Year by Runner’s World Magazine. I have also been named Houstonian of the Year by the Houston Chronicle and received the 2021 Presidential Life Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Service Award, TEA Heroes for Children Award, Shell Hurricane Harvey Heroes Award, George and Barbara Bush Points of Light Award, and the Houston Dynamo Charities Award.