Luisa Cicero, known by her pen name Fermina Ponce, is a writer, speaker, and mental health advocate whose work bridges lived experience, literature, and community action. She holds a degree in Social Communication and Journalism, a Master's in Organizational Communication Administration from Universidad de La Sabana (Colombia), and a Master's in Creative Writing in Spanish from Universidad de Salamanca (Spain). She brings over sixteen years of experience in marketing, corporate communications, and change management, and has served as a medical interpreter for missions with Corazones por Honduras. As Fermina Ponce, she is the author of poetry collections including Al Desnudo (ILBA 2018 Honorable Mention), Mar de (L)una (ILBA 2019 Honorable Mention), and Se llamará piedra (Sudaquia, ILBA 2022 Honorable Mention). Her work has been presented at FilBo, the University of Guanajuato, UNAM Chicago, and the Instituto Cervantes, and translated into English, Italian, French, and Arabic. She was a finalist for the XVIII Premio Juana Goergen at Chicago's Poetry in April Festival. Her latest book, Todo este silencio, relatos sobre mi trastorno bipolar (Urano, 2024), is an intimate exploration of living with bipolar disorder, challenging stigma around mental health in Hispanic communities. Luisa serves as Affiliate and Statewide Programs Manager at NAMI Illinois, expanding culturally responsive mental health education and advocacy statewide. In 2020, she was appointed Deputy Poet Laureate of Aurora, Illinois, where she resides, and was nominated by the Colombian Consulate in Chicago for the "Los 22 más" cultural award.