Yale Alumni Service Corps (YASC) in Puerto Rico: Update from Instituto Nueva Escuela

Ana María García Blanco is a Puerto Rican educator who pioneered Montessori education in Puerto Rico. After earning her Ed.D. at Harvard, García Blanco returned home to lead the development of the first public Montessori school in Puerto Rico. After 21 years as director, in 2008 she became and remains executive director of Instituto Nueva Escuela. Recognized with the "Living Legacy Award 2020" by the American Montessori Society, García Blanco is a contemporary legend and a national educational leader. She has taught at local public and private universities, including the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She publishes and lectures extensively in Puerto Rico, the United States, and abroad.

Rosalia Burke has worked since 2003 as an otolaryngologist in The Woodlands, Texas, where she is a partner of Texas ENT Specialists. Dr. Burke also serves as the chair of the Memorial Hermann Conroe Surgery Center and is on the board of the Memorial Hermann Surgery Center-Pinecroft. Dr. Burke’s studies have taken her across the country. She graduated from Yale with a B.S. in biology in 1992. Dr. Burke then received an Olin Fellowship and attended the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. She completed medical school in 1996 before moving to Seattle, where she completed an internship in general surgery followed by residency in otolaryngology/head and neck surgery at the University of Washington. She participated in past YASC trips to the Dominican Republic in 2019 and Puerto Rico in 2020, when she led the public health project.

Cecilia Frometa is a licensed clinical psychologist and assistant professor at Yale School of Medicine. She is a core faculty member within the psychology section at the Child Study Center. She completed her pre-doctoral clinical internship at Harvard Medical School’s Department of Veteran’s Affairs with a clinical focus on trauma related disorders, and her post-doctoral fellowship at Yale School of Medicine. Dr. Frometa additionally leads state-wide training coordination for a child- and family-centered psychiatric model developed at Yale and is a lead program consultant for the Connecticut Network of Care Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services Development Team. She was a key member of the public health project team on the 2020 YASC trip to Puerto Rico.

Anelis Torres-Rivera is the liaison for YASC’s Service Program in Puerto Rico. With more than 15 years of experience working with nonprofits, Torres-Rivera currently leads the Development office at INE where she oversees the relationship between staff and potential donors. She’s also engaged in the preparation and procurement of appropriate funding sources. Torres-Rivera completed postgraduate studies in public affairs and has a license in social work. She is passionate about service and helping to make a difference in people's lives.

Elena Labrada ‘86 is a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist of Puerto Rican descent. After completing her bachelor of science at Yale, she attended New York Medical College, Georgetown University Hospital for her psychiatry residency and Stanford University Hospital for her child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship. A YASC member since 2013, she currently serves on the YASC Advisory Board. Dr. Labrada was trip producer for the inaugural trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico, in March 2020, her 5th adventure with YASC. Dr. Labrada also volunteers at multiple organizations supporting physician and children’s mental health and education, and she also mentors first generation students at Stanford and Yale. She’s been a featured speaker for parent groups, local schools, and adolescent mental health nonprofits.