A mother of three, Faustina began her career in the human services field as a Housing Specialist for the Brockton Area Helpline. In that position, she assisted families in obtaining housing and accessing community resources. Within a couple of years, she assumed the position of Intake Assessment Supervisor, through which role she found temporary shelter for homeless families. Faustina was recognized for her work through the Excellence in Human Services Award presented by Community Services of Greater Brockton. In 2004, Faustina decided to return to school to pursue a career in teaching. She enrolled at Bridgewater State College as a double major in English and Elementary Education and graduated Cum Laude. Faustina earned her Massachusetts State Licensure and substitute taught at the Rochester Memorial Elementary School and Wareham Middle School. From 2008 to 2011, Faustina worked for PACE Head Start assisting low-income families. In 2011, she joined the founding team of Alma del Mar as a Kindergarten Associate Teacher. She is also an active member of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children’s Champions Advocacy Network. Faustina is fluent in Cape Verdean Creole, Spanish, and Portuguese.