Alongside her years of work speaking out for social justice, Patty has interesting intersectional lenses through which issues are understood at Defying Labels. A powerful lens itself, her views formed through a concentrated amount of work for over a decade relating to youth in the foster care system, starting from being an ex-foster youth herself, then through the perspective of an undocumented Salvadoran immigrant, followed closely with being a queer girl who felt invisible, and finishing through the prism of somebody who was once incarcerated within the juvenile justice system. These have contributed to her concern about and passion for taking on systemic inequalities. As a keynote speaker, Patty inspires Los Angeles County organizations and beyond with her journey and insight into resilience and what redefining one's notation of empowerment truly means.