Renita Pagan is a resilient and driven young woman of Puerto Rican and African American descent, born and raised in Peekskill, NY. Renita has always been dedicated and focused on furthering her education which has allowed her to obtain her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice at Monroe College and Master of Social Worker at Hunter College’s Silberman School of Social Work. And she has always had a passion for helping marginalized communities. Renita is a school social worker in the Bronx and a psychotherapist.
Built on being philanthropic, and with a heart for giving, in 2014, Renita began #RenitaGivesBack, where she provides underserved families in Peekskill holiday baskets and turkeys.
With a commitment to helping others battling homelessness, addiction, mental illness, and justice involved; and as an advocate for inner-city youth, Renita continues to creatively develop curriculums that aim towards improving the outcomes of underrepresented communities. Through her experience with the homeless population and disadvantaged youth in NYC, Renita has developed a housing readiness pilot, a cultural diversity workshop, and a young women’s mentoring program called OURS (Outstanding United Resilient Sisters) to address the needs of these individuals.
As changing the life outcomes of Black and Brown communities is a focal point for Renita; and her understanding of the immense underdevelopment of our cultures, in August 2020, Renita self-published a children's book "My Melanin: Empowering Young Women of Color to Love Themselves by Celebrating Their Beautiful Features."
Most recently, Renita self-published A Gratitude Journal: Manifest a Healthier You Through Daily Reflection, Prayer, Healing, and Intention.
This gratitude journal is for individuals struggling to find gratitude when experiencing disappointment, trauma, change, and grief. We often become consumed with these experiences, causing us to be afraid of becoming a healthier version of ourselves. The gratitude journal empowers individuals to focus on their goals, daily reflections, healing, purpose prayers, and affirmations.
During the pandemic, Renita created a blogging site titled: Intentional AF - a safe space for Brown and Brown women and men to normalize empowerment and unity in our communities. Renita wrote about lived experiences while emphasizing mental health.
Renita co-facilitates a healing circle with her colleague Tanya Briggs. The healing circle brings attention to mental health in Latinx & POC communities, in addition to empowering women and highlighting womanhood.
Within the next 5-years, Renita hopes to grow the healing circle and open her private practice that focuses on holistic healing.