Monica believes strongly in a person’s ability to affect change by being an active community participant.  Her experience as an immigrant has greatly influenced her commitment to her community and she is always looking for opportunities to get involved and make a difference. 

Monica moved to the United States from Costa Rica with her mother and three younger sisters when she was only 13 years old.  She knows firsthand the difficulties and barriers faced by immigrants in this country.  Her mother worked very hard often having long days and working overtime on weekends making minimum wage at a textile factory.  As a young child, Monica witnessed the discrimination her mother faced because she looked different and had an accent.  Monica also remembers the support and generosity shown by members of the Catholic School which she and her sisters attended.  Staff provided her family with support and education, and also provided winter clothing and Christmas presents that very first year.  As a young child growing up in Costa Rica, Monica remembers the importance of always giving back to the community even when her family had very little. It is this personal experience that she brings to each and every community project she undertakes; Monica understands hardships and the power of a strong community and role models.

Monica has volunteered for numerous organizations in the Capital Region including Literacy Volunteers-Mohawk/Hudson, Inc., Somos El Futuro Legislative Conference, Community Caregivers, Centro Civico of Amsterdam, Centro Civico of Albany, League of Humane Voters, Capital City Rescue Mission, Habitat for Humanity, Hands on Capitaland, animal rescue organizations, and various others.  As a volunteer, she has organized events such as food and clothing drives, voter registration drives, nursing home visits, blood drives, animal food drives, fundraisers and others.

In February 2010 Monica was appointed by the Schenectady County Legislation to serve as Commissioner for a three year term with the Schenectady County Division of Human Rights Commission.  She is a member of Schenectady’s NAACP and Schenectady’s Hispanic Heritage Committee. 

Monica formed the Hispanic Complete Count Committee for the Capital Region where she serves as Co-Chair in June 2009.  The Committee's mission is to ensure Latinos in this region are adequately counted during the 2010 Census.  Monica is also the NY Census Project Volunteer for Voto Latino; a nonpartisan group whose mission is to increase American Latino youth civic participation. 

She also organized the first Hispanic Veteran Ceremony in the Capital Region in 2009 as a way to honor the local veterans who have served in the armed forces.  The event was held as part of the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration with over 35 veterans being honored.  Each veteran received a special proclamation signed by Governor David Paterson.  Monica also served as Treasurer and Development Committee Chair for the Hispanic Outreach Services in Albany. 

She is especially proud of her contribution to the Obama 2008 Presidential Campaign having been appointed by the New York State Democratic Committee as a Delegate-at-Large for Barack.  She also served as Treasurer for the Albany for Obama Campaign/Coalition for Change.   Monica continues to serve on the Board for the Coalition.

Monica moved to Upstate New York from the Connecticut region in 1992 and has since made the Capital Region her home; residing in Schenectady County since. In 2004 Monica graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Albany where she majored in Political Science with a minor in Sociology. Two years later, she graduated with a Masters degree in Public Administration from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy at SUNY Albany where she concentrated in Public Finance and Public Management. She is currently a Fiscal Analyst with the NYS Assembly Majority Ways & Means Committee, where she has worked since 2006.

Issues that are important to Monica include affordable education, health care, women’s rights, immigration reform, equal pay for equal work, civil rights protection, same-sex-marriage, animal welfare/rights, the environment, and the advancement of Latinos in the political system.

Monica is married to Jaime Alvear and together they share their home with Monica’s mother, Sonia.  Jaime has an amazing 13 year old daughter who is very active in her community.