Dra. Cheryl Aguilar, LICSW, PhD
Lead Investigator
Founder of The Hope Center for Wellness
Passionate about supporting immigrant families and advancing community well-being.
About Siempre Ahí
Welcome!
Welcome to Siempre Ahí (Always There)! A learning and resource space inspired by the strength, courage, and wisdom of the parents who participated in my dissertation, What About the Parents? Exploring the Impact of Immigration Family Separation and Reunification on the Well-Being and Sense of Self Among Central American Parents.
As an immigrant from Puerto Cortés, Honduras, I know the experience of family migration firsthand. My mother, Elizabeth Aguilar, came to the United States first with my sisters in search of a better future for our family, and later, together with my brothers, I reunited with her.
Because of this, I feel deeply honored to uplift the stories of mothers and fathers who, with courage, sacrifice, and hope, strive to build a better future for their children. My mission is to transform these stories and the knowledge that emerges from them into resources and supports that accompany parents and families throughout their migration journeys, promoting well-being, connection, and healing.
About this Website
Whether you are a parent, provider, student, researcher, policy maker, or simply someone interested in understanding separation and reunification from the perspectives of parents, I hope you find this space meaningful and helpful. If you have questions or are looking for information not included here, please feel free to reach out using the contact information below.
I invite you not only to learn from the experiences and resources shared in this space, but also to share resources and knowledge that may support others.
Acknowledgements
I am deeply grateful to the parents who participated in this study and entrusted me with their stories and experiences; to my advisory committee for their thoughtful guidance; and to my dissertation committee—Dr. Ora Nakash, Dr. Johanna Creswell Báez, and Dr. Gabriela Barajas-Gonzalez—for their wisdom, mentorship, and unwavering support of this research. I am also grateful to the community organizations that helped connect me with parents and to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Health Policy Research Scholars program and The Sanville Institute for supporting this work through dissertation awards. Finally, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the mentors, colleagues, friends, and family whose encouragement, care, and support sustained me throughout this research journey.
Thanks to the Social Work Grand Challenge: Harness Technology for Social Good for its grant to make this website a reality.
