Joshua Preciado received his Bachelor’s in Social Work from Northeastern Illinois University. He is currently studying for his Master of Social Work at the University of Chicago with a clinical concentration. Joshua is the first in his family to receive a higher education degree. He was born and raised on the south side of Chicago to immigrant parents from Jalisco, Mexico. Having lived in the South Chicago and Back of the Yards communities, he witnessed firsthand the effects of violence, inadequate resources, and injustices marginalized individuals face in these communities. He was drawn to social work after seeing a lack of representation for Latine and queer-identifying clinicians. He believes every individual should have access to adequate mental health care.