Born in Lima, Peru, Monica Rojas became a Peruvian national dance champion at the age of 17. She has a doctorate degree in cultural anthropology from the University of Washington and has collaborated as choreographer, cultural consultant, music and dance instructor, and guest artist with various college and community youth and adult educational programs throughout the Pacific Northwest. Monica is the founder and director of DE CAJON Project and Movimiento Afrolatino Seattle (MS), two community arts organizations dedicated to educating about and raising awareness of the cultural contributions of people of African descent in Peru and Latin America respectively. Monica currently holds a position as the Assistant Director of the African Studies and the Latin American and Caribbean Studies programs at the University of Washington.