Vanessa Jaquez Bonilla is a 23-year-old, who was born and raised in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. She is entering her fourth year at the University of Windsor and is pursuing a Combined Bachelor of Arts Honours in Developmental Psychology and Criminology. After completing her Bachelor’s degree, she aspires to complete her Masters in Social Work and later become a registered social worker to further utilize her knowledge and abilities to develop effective support systems for those individuals experiencing homelessness.Vanessa is currently working at the Homelessness and Housing Help Hub (H4) as a Housing Intervention Worker providing housing assistance and connecting individuals with other community services. As an improved service facility, H4 strives to meet the basic needs of individuals who are homeless and connects them to resources, community support organizations, and primary healthcare. She has come to appreciate the significance of giving back to the community through her involvement in non-profit organizations volunteerism. She is passionate about working with the homeless community as she has always loved helping and supporting the most vulnerable.

She has also learned the importance behind supportive systems in our community that are able to provide assistance to those who are homeless, not only with affordable housing but providing resources to address mental health issues/concerns and substance abuse problems. If chosen as the next Miss Tecumseh, Vanessa will be partnering with H4 and will utilize the platform to raise awareness and do fundraisers with all the funds going to this organization. She aspires to have a positive impact on the community and is delighted to represent the Town of Tecumseh as Miss Tecumseh 2023.