Sonja Fernández-Quiñones
Restorative Facilitator & Youth Advocate

Sonja Fernández-Quiñones (they/them) was born and raised in Caguas, Puerto Rico. Their main passions are social justice, human rights, restorative/transformative practices and writing/storytelling. They earned a Bachelor's of Arts in Political Sciences from the University of Puerto Rico and then went on to earn their Juris Doctor from the University of Puerto Rico School of Law. Through their experience in law school, they got involved in community work centering reproductive and sexual rights, human trafficking, and restorative practices.

Since 2017, Sonja has called the Twin Cities home. In the last 5 years they have worked as a legal researcher and writer, a sexual violence victims’ advocate, and a site facilitator for the Hennepin County Sexual Assault Multidisciplinary Action Response Team. They sit on the board for the Minnesota Peacebuilding Leadership Institute, a non-profit dedicated to building nonviolent power and community resilience to trauma through restorative practices. In their spare time, they serve as Quality Auditor for Proyecto Didasko, a Spanish digital magazine with which they also collaborate as Senior Editor and writer.

​They joined the Legal Rights Center’s Y:EARS team as a Restorative Facilitator and Youth Advocate in 2022, supporting youth and families in overcoming systemic obstacles and conflict through restorative practices. In addition to writing, they love music, coffee, and spending time with their family and their dog Benito.