Monthly Beauties | Yokasta Urena
Meet The Faces of Bold Blind Beautiful & Accomplished Women
Representation Matters! Bold Blind Beauty believes that “Real Beauty Transcends Barriers” and May’s cover model, Yokasta Urena is an example of our belief.
Yokasta is one of the most brilliant and passionate people I’ve been honored to meet. From the moment I met her I was moved by her intense thirst for knowledge along with her passion for inclusion. Who she is really shouldn’t have been a surprise as she is the mom to equally brilliant Liam Cruz our June, 2021 Man In Motion.
An educator by trade, Yokasta is a fierce advocate and amazing role model for both children and adults alike. Below Yokasta’s Beyond Sight cover are some of her words of wisdom. Stay tuned for her Women On The Move feature coming this summer where you can learn a little more of her story. Enjoy! ~Steph
“My life, like yours, is unique in kind; with storms that may feel like monsoons and, thankfully, with luscious pastures and sandy beaches too. When the storms come, navigate them. Sift through the clouds and find the sun. This is, after all, no dress rehearsal. It is the beautiful human experience. Create and enjoy it!”
~Y.U.
Yokasta’s Bio:
Greetings all!
My name is Yokasta Urena and I am a trifecta; Latina with a visual impairment (VI) and parent of my biggest source of joy, Liam (who some of you may already know 
). At this time, I am an Ed.D. candidate at New England College’s Pre-K-12 Leadership Program. I will also be teaching my first Graduate Course at Illinois State University this summer. As someone who is passionate about special education, my end goal is to create integrated programs that truly speak to what accessibility, diversity, equity and inclusion should look like.
For the past 20 years, I’ve held many positions in the education field; teaching students with special needs, advocacy work, program management, and more. During this time, I’ve learned many skills related to assessing students’ needs, working directly with families, schools and districts. I’ve also had the opportunity to manage a vocational rehabilitation program geared towards integrating visually and cognitively impaired students in possible long-term working and training programs. My hope is that I can learn more about the behind-the-scenes workings of highly effective tools and programming. The research aspect is an area that I am excited to dive into as it will inform my practices as I develop new programming for the blind and visually impaired.
Fun facts? I love to “try” and stay fit; I am involved in both tandem cycling and participate in the New York 5 Borough Bike Tour regularly as well as adaptive cross country skiing. I love the Arts, Travel and trying new foods! In short, I live intentionally; being flexible and adaptable. Not afraid to push the envelope and fully embracing my reality as a joyful woman with a disability.
Warmly,
Yokasta
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Image Description
- The header photo is identical to the image used on the Beyond Sight Magazine cover. Yokasta Urena is a pretty Latina woman in eyeglasses. She’s smiling for the camera while posing in front of a decorative brick wall. Her wavy dark hair is shoulder-length and she’s wearing a white shirt under a gray sweater. Text on the cover reads “Beyond Sight May 2022 | Monthly Beauties | Yokasta Urena.”