sussy santana

I’ve met so many people during my time in this state. I first moved here in late 1998. As many of you know by now, I was 21 years old with a young baby. I remember my friend Mary brought me to the International Institute (now Dorcas), and they sent me to West Staff Employment Agency. When they asked me what I did, I said I could work in an office, and they sent me to Traffic Court on Harris Avenue. I started in November as a temp filing old traffic tickets. I kept getting interrupted because anytime someone came in who spoke Spanish, I was asked to interpret. By February, a very kind woman named Anne Alexander—one of my supervisors—recommended me for a permanent position. It mattered. Not only would I make better wages, but I would be a full-time state employee with medical benefits. A few years later, I enrolled at CCRI to become a Judicial Interpreter through one of the first pilot training programs. After graduating, the State opened its first Interpreter Office of Court Interpreter...

In 2025 , my work as an artist and cultural organizer focused on creating shared spaces for creativity, cultural connection, and collective care. Throughout the year, I collaborated with community partners, artists, and institutions to support projects rooted in participation, cultural memory, and access to the arts. I began the year with the beautiful closing of Arts For EveryBody , a national arts and health initiative organized by One Nation/One Project in collaboration with the National League of Cities and partners like the University of Florida Center for Arts in Medicine . This initiative culminated in a meaningful capstone gathering in Dallas, Texas , where we celebrated the power of art to support community wellbeing and public health. I’m forever grateful to have worked with national collaborators to bring art to our communities in ways that foster connection, healing, and resilience. In March, I traveled to the Dominican Republic for the closing ceremony of Anticanon RD...