Christian Ortiz

Christian is a father of a 9-year-old daughter who graduated with his associate degree in writing and literature from LaGuardia Community College and is one semester away from earning his bachelor’s degree, also in writing and literature, from Hunter College. Before attending college, while Christian prepared to earn his GED, a mentor introduced him to the City University of New York’s Fatherhood Academy. Since then, life has come full circle and Christian is now a mentor himself at the Fatherhood Academy, working as an academic coach. He champions a culture of care on campus in which staff build relationships with students through empathy and encouragement. Christian is also an advocate of culturally-informed strategies, innovations in mental health support, and paid experiential learning opportunities for student parents. Christian’s future career aspirations center around supporting others, especially when it comes to mental health, and continuing professional development in that area.