Meet the team

Rebekah Rosen-Gomez, a native of New York City, moved to Rhode Island in 1991 and after her first career as a chef, worked with families in the  Newport public schools for 16 years. Rebekah returned to school as an adult and earned a BA in Social Work from Rhode Island College. In 2019 she co- founded Conexión Latina Newport, an organization that seeks to educate, support, empower, and advocate for Hispanics in Newport, as well as partner with local agencies, government, and schools, to better serve this population. Rebekah enjoys volunteering as a Spanish / English translator on medical missions to Central America, and has always been Rebekah and her Peruvian husband have 2 adult children and are full time grandparents, as well as dog parents. 

Marissa Portillo, a native of El Salvador, moved to Newport in 2000. Marisa is the Family Education Navigator for Conexión Latina Newport with 15 years of experience working with and for the Latino community of Newport. Marissa specializes in accessing education opportunities for children aged birth through 12th grade, as well as navigating those systems and serving as a conduit between families and providers. Marisa’s children have all been or are students of Newport public schools, and she is very knowledgeable about the systems and the community thanks to her lived experience.