{"id":238318,"date":"2025-12-01T07:00:51","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T12:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=238318"},"modified":"2025-12-02T12:26:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T17:26:10","slug":"clas-alum-advances-social-equity-in-connecticut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2025\/12\/clas-alum-advances-social-equity-in-connecticut\/","title":{"rendered":"CLAS Alum Advances Social Equity in Connecticut"},"content":{"rendered":"

For Caesar Valent\u00edn \u201920 (CLAS), \u201922 MPA, \u201922 MA, public service is more than a career \u2014 it\u2019s a calling.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A proud UConn Husky from Manchester, Conn., Valent\u00edn earned his undergraduate degree in\u00a0political\u00a0science and\u00a0philosophy with a minor in\u00a0human\u00a0rights in 2020 before continuing straight into graduate study.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Through UConn\u2019s 4+1 Fast-Track program<\/a>, he pursued not one but two master\u2019s degrees: a Master of Public Administration (MPA) and a Master of Arts in International Studies. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a very interdisciplinary approach,\u201d he explains. \u201cPublic policy gave me the practical knowledge, while El Instituto gave me the conceptual and historical understanding of Latino experiences across the U.S. and Latin America. Together, it gave me a way to think about how policy impacts communities.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That approach guided Valent\u00edn\u2019s graduate thesis, Can Connecticut Get It Right?<\/em>, a policy analysis of cannabis legalization and its potential for reinvestment in communities most affected by the war on drugs.\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are going to consume cannabis,\u201d he says. \u201cThe safest and most equitable way is through a regulated system that reinvests tax revenue into communities that have been historically harmed.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While completing his dual degrees during the pandemic, Valent\u00edn worked as a graduate assistant at El Instituto and\u00a0participated\u00a0in research through the\u00a0<\/span>Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy (IMRP)<\/span><\/a>. Under the guidance of\u00a0<\/span>Mohamad Alkadry<\/span><\/a>, he contributed to IMRP\u2019s early research for the Connecticut Social Equity Council, helping gather information and conduct interviews for its report on the state\u2019s adult-use cannabis market.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After graduating in 2022, Valent\u00edn joined the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) as a\u00a0leadership\u00a0associate and was later promoted to\u00a0equal\u00a0employment\u00a0opportunity\u00a0specialist. There, he prepared affirmative action plans for multiple state agencies and led investigations into workplace discrimination.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s rewarding to know that what I do day to day helps Connecticut build a fairer, more equitable market.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Valent\u00edn\u2019s early career journey came full circle in 2024 when he joined the Social Equity Council itself, where he now serves as a\u00a0success and\u00a0strategy\u00a0analyst. He\u00a0says\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0fulfilling to see his thesis and early research connect directly to his current work. His team has clarified the social equity plan requirements, improved internal policies, and launched the R\u00b2 Program,\u00a0Reimagine and Revitalize,\u00a0which will distribute $36 million over three years to disproportionately\u00a0impacted\u00a0communities.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Valent\u00edn\u2019s work also includes coordinating a new legislative working group examining market conditions, municipal relations, and youth engagement in the cannabis industry.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s rewarding to know that what I do day to day helps Connecticut build a fairer, more equitable market,\u201d he says.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Reflecting on his time in the MPA program, Valent\u00edn credits several courses and professors for shaping his approach to public service. He says Labor Relations and Human Resources gave him a solid foundation for EEO work; Public Opinion taught him to look critically at data and survey design; and Public Finance and Budgeting turned out to be unexpectedly valuable \u2014 he still relies on the Microsoft Excel and budgeting skills he learned there. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He is quick to recommend the program to others. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t need a JD to make an impact,\u201d he says. \u201cThe MPA gives you the managerial, policy, and analytical skills to lead government or nonprofits. And\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0a strong sense\u00a0of community\u00a0\u2014\u00a0when you meet another UConn MPA alum, there is an instant connection and respect.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When asked what drives him to serve, Valent\u00edn says it’s simple.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people see problems in the world, but not everyone chooses to act,” he explains. “I serve because I want to make an impact that lasts. When I look back in 20 years, I want to know that a program or policy I helped shape is still helping people.\u201d <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now several years into his career, Valent\u00edn is eager to give back. A former mentee in the School of Public Policy\u2019s Alumni Mentoring Program, he would like to return as a mentor himself.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAt first, I didn\u2019t feel seasoned enough,\u201d he admits. \u201cBut now that I\u2019ve navigated a few career transitions, I\u2019d love to help guide the next generation. The MPA program gave me my start, and I want to pay that forward.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Caesar Valent\u00edn \u201920 (CLAS), \u201922 MPA, \u201922 MA focuses on creating a more equitable market, particularly in the cannabis industry<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":58,"featured_media":238337,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2226],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[117],"class_list":["post-238318","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-clas"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-23 15:25:44","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238318","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/58"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=238318"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238318\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":238533,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238318\/revisions\/238533"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/238337"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=238318"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=238318"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=238318"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=238318"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=238318"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}