Growing up in Oakland, I had peers that lived in cars, wore the same clothes, in the foster system, and many more cases that put them at a disadvantage. They relied on school to be their safe place, and school was their only way out. Programs I participated in, like METS and YR Media allowed me to witness the benefits of educational tools in low-income communities. I want to help my community as a bilingual Woman of Color to lead the changes needed in Oakland. I’ve grown to be passionate about this because of the lack of resources for students of color and to prevent the school to prison pipeline that is prevalent in Oakland. My college goal is to major in education and continue my 5th year to receive my Master’s in Public Policy through Mills’ Accelerated Degree Program. After college, I plan to work for schools, but my career goal is to start my own non-profit program to help low-income students of color navigate through predominantly white institutions with the power of education.

My all-time favorite film is Booksmart. This film came out about 2 years ago, but it has become a classic for me to rewatch because of how relatable it is to my life. Their experience of being nerdy students that threw away their high school years is exactly what happened to me- for once in a movie I felt represented. I also enjoy this film so much because the first time I watched it was with my mom. For some reason I thought she loved coming-of-age movies, but she doesn’t apparently. She goes with me to the movie theaters to watch them because she knows I enjoy them. It’s one of the few ways we bond with each other. So every time I watch it, even if it’s alone, I think about the very first time I watched it with her. Overall, it’s a very funny film and I can always rely on it to make me laugh when I’m down. For once, the outfits in the film are accurate and the actors actually look like teenagers rather than 25 year olds.

I am writing this as a first-generation Salvadoran- American, and student living in East Oakland. I never received the help that maybe other kids did with homework and my mental health. I’m the first one in my family to navigate through college. When I was younger, I had big dreams of becoming the first female president of the United States, but my mindset changed as I got older. I realized that sexism and racism simultaneously placed barriers in my life. I convinced myself my goals weren’t attainable, my self-esteem deteriorated, and my grades reflected that. I’ve had teachers that have given up on me. They didn’t realize my education was the last hope I had for myself. My educators in my community didn’t take me seriously because they saw me as a lost cause. For Latinx and Black students to be recognized academically, there’s an expectation that they must be perfect. I couldn’t afford to make mistakes without judgment and feeding onto harmful stereotypes that Latinx women are uneducated. It was hard for me because I felt like there was no one guiding me. My educational experience changed when I went out of my way to participate in non-profit programs in my community, led by women from similar backgrounds and looked like me! I participated in the METS TRIO program and YR Media. They allowed me to witness the benefits of educational tools in low-income communities of color and ultimately gave me a voice again. These programs helped me realize I wasn’t alone. I want to help my community as a bilingual Woman of Color. I want to lead the changes needed in Oakland and students who don’t receive support emotionally and academically. I’ve grown to be passionate about this because of the lack of resources for students of color that I’ve experienced first-hand and prevent the school-to-prison pipeline prevalent in Oakland. My college goal is to major in education and continue my 5th year to receive my Master’s in Public Policy through Mills’ Accelerated Degree Program. After college, I plan to work for schools. Still, my career goal is to start my own non-profit program to help low-income students of color navigate through predominantly white institutions with the power of education. I don’t want students of color to convince themselves they are the narrative that society has made up for them; I want them to continue to pave the way for themselves as I guide them with the tools I acquire in higher education.

I am writing this as a first-generation Salvadoran- American, and student living in East Oakland. I never received the help that maybe other kids did with homework and my mental health. I’m the first one in my family to navigate through college. When I was younger, I had big dreams of becoming the first female president of the United States, but my mindset changed as I got older. I realized that sexism and racism simultaneously placed barriers in my life. I convinced myself my goals weren’t attainable, my self-esteem deteriorated, and my grades reflected that. I’ve had teachers that have given up on me. They didn’t realize my education was the last hope I had for myself. My educators in my community didn’t take me seriously because they saw me as a lost cause. For Latinx and Black students to be recognized academically, there’s an expectation that they must be perfect. I couldn’t afford to make mistakes without judgment and feeding onto harmful stereotypes that Latinx women are uneducated. It was hard for me because I felt like there was no one guiding me. My educational experience changed when I went out of my way to participate in non-profit programs in my community, led by women from similar backgrounds and looked like me! I participated in the METS TRIO program and YR Media. They allowed me to witness the benefits of educational tools in low-income communities of color and ultimately gave me a voice again. These programs helped me realize I wasn’t alone. I want to help my community as a bilingual Woman of Color. I want to lead the changes needed in Oakland and students who don’t receive support emotionally and academically. I’ve grown to be passionate about this because of the lack of resources for students of color that I’ve experienced first-hand and prevent the school-to-prison pipeline prevalent in Oakland. My college goal is to major in education and continue my 5th year to receive my Master’s in Public Policy through Mills’ Accelerated Degree Program. After college, I plan to work for schools. Still, my career goal is to start my own non-profit program to help low-income students of color navigate through predominantly white institutions with the power of education. I don’t want students of color to convince themselves they are the narrative that society has made up for them; I want them to continue to pave the way for themselves as I guide them with the tools I acquire in higher education.

The greatest challenge I’ve had to face as a student was waking up everyday at 5am, and getting home at 9pm. I grew up in a nice town with my parents, once they divorced I was mostly with my mom who lived an hour away. We never switched schools because that would be another aspect of my life that would change. It was her, my brother, and I living in a room of a family member’s house. I woke up extremely early to get to school, I had a zero period because it was the only way I’d be able to fit an AP class in my schedule. I usually spent time in classrooms at lunch to do my homework, and in high school as soon as I turned 15 I found a paid internship. I would have to take BART at here everyday afterschool, and my mom had to wait around to pick me up after my shift so we could go home. We lived in that room for six years. It was a challenge because it felt as if that were my life, I would have to be constantly working and losing sleep to barely make it above the surface with my education and career. I overcame it by being patient and grateful for everything my mother did. She supported the fact that I didn’t want to change schools, she would go out of her way to drop me off every morning. She supported my career as a journalist. I overcame it by counting my blessings, and working hard because I knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel. I learned that struggle is temporary, and I had to make the best of my situation. I don’t think I would have worked as hard if was an option.

#virtuallearning #thestruggleisreal

Me when someone agrees with my discussion post. Instagram: @thelifeofvaleriaa

It was the day before Valentine’s Day, I was at my internship in downtown Oakland at Youth Radio. I was a student journalist starting my sophomore year of high school. Journalism was the only thing that kept me afloat, along with the supportive work family I had at my internship. I came from a broken home in East Oakland, I didn’t have emotional and financial support from my father and on top of that I was helping raise my autistic brother. My passion for writing journalism allowed me to be my true self aside from what I had going on at home. On this particular day, I was in the middle of a meeting, it was about our new brand launch, when my mom texted me to leave early. I was only 15 years old, being included in a conversation with adults about executive decisions for our company. I was very angry, only because she didn’t realize how important that meeting was for me, but I couldn’t say no to her. Once I got in her car she explained that she picked me up because she still wanted to make my Valentine’s Day special, I was recovering from my first heartbreak. I couldn’t be mad at that at all, it was a nice gesture. Although, a heads up would’ve been nice. We never got to the restaurant, instead we got in a car accident on the way. The car ran a red light, my mom and I watched it collide into us. I was in a rough patch in my life before this, but the car crash shook me to my core. My ears were ringing, the doors were so crushed we couldn’t get out. I could see pedestrians running towards us. My mom’s car was totaled, but we somehow walked away with minor injuries. Ironically, that day is exactly what I needed, I needed that reminder that my life could be taken at any moment. I was unable to attend school, my college classes, or my internship for at least 5 weeks. As my grades fell apart, as my career felt like it was fading, my soul was being mended. I wasn’t allowed to read because it would be too much strain on my brain, but it was the only thing that kept me sane. When I returned to school, I was happy to be back on my normal routine. My teachers didn’t feel the same way, they didn’t even accommodate my 504 plan. It was frustrating to say the least, I was bound to fail. I ended that semester with a 2.3 GPA. Coming from a family of immigrants, and being the only one your family expected to go through with college, I felt ashamed of myself to disappoint them because of one obstacle that came my way. The following year, I recovered and ended with a 3.67 GPA. It hurts to see my cumulative GPA, but I remind myself of the doctor appointments, the medication, the neurologist check-ups. I bounced back tremoundsly, and I returned with a position as an editor once I came back to my internship at Youth Radio. Since then, I’ve published four articles with the help of Youth Radio’s platform, started a YouTube channel, and I’m even starting up my own business. I’m not sure where I’d be without experiencing such a reality check, but it has given me more drive to chase my goals instead of waiting for them to come to me. My survival of February 13th was a second chance at life. The car accident taught me more than school ever could, it taught me the value of my time here.

In the picture included, it’s a selfie of Mike Krieger and I. Mike Krieger is the co-founder of Instagram. I’ve worked for YR Media for 3 years, as one of their longest-standing interns they trust me to complete certain tasks. In this case, I was given the opportunity to give him a personal tour of our organization’s building. What I didn’t know about him was that he actually wanted to be a journalist when he was younger, just like me! We hit it off so well that I had to ask for a selfie as a keepsake.

I am not a single mother, but I'm the eldest daughter of a single mother. I'm basically mom #2 to my little brother with autism. My mother has raised my brother and I by herself for the past 8 years. This has changed my life drastically because we have struggled financially. For 6 years, the three of us lived in a single room in my aunt's house. I could never stay up and do homework, I had to be mindful that we had to wake up at 5am in order for my mom to get to work on time. She worked so hard to get a place of her own, and now she owns a house, and we all have our own room. She didn't receive help from anyone, besides the small income I brought in from my internship and part-time job. I admire her so much for this, and it has helped me believe that anything is possible. At her job at State Fund she has moved her way up by working since she was 23, now she has a job that requires a bachelor's degree once applying. She worked her way to that position with only a high school diploma. I currently work at YR Media, formerly known as Youth Radio, and I work a part-time job at Gap. All while maintaining my 4.0 gpa my senior year. I get tired sometimes, I work at YR Media 3 times a week after school, and roughly 3 days a week at Gap. I don't like to complain because I know my mom has experienced worse at my age. I've worked at YR Media since I was 15, the start of my sophomore year. I had no interest in journalism at the time, I didn't even know what it was. I simply applied because they offered positions at the age of 15, I was eager to start working. It became something I loved, the best part of my day. I started off as a DJ for the weekly radio shows. Then I decided to start writing pieces for the news stations. It was addicting hearing my words on air, knowing that I was finally being heard. From there they moved me up to YR's newsroom to collaborate with KCBS and KQED, and I was only 16. My mom was ecstatic, and I finally felt like I was doing something right. I moved departments several times at YR, I wanted to gain much experience as possible. I didn't just work as a journalist, I also explored areas such as graphic design for album covers and podcasts. Currently, I code interactive articles for our newsroom. I've featured in a video, and spoke on a Emmy-award winning podcast. I still can't believe the opportunities that have come my way. Working to support my family wasn't something I dreaded when I was also pursuing something I was passionate about. If I didn't live in the conditions I lived in, I wonder if I would have the same work ethic. I also work at Gap because YR Media only pays minimum wage, but if I'm being honest, I would work at YR Media even if I were working for free. My mom doesn't like me working until 11pm, but my motivation is for her to work less. My dream career is to be a journalist at a big time news company. Journalism is very competitive when it comes to pay. It makes me anxious when I begin thinking about my future salary. I need enough to support my mom and brother, and myself. So I've been considering computer science since coding comes to me as second nature. It isn't what I love, or my ideal career, but it pays. Winning this scholarship will take some weight off my shoulders, I don't always want to work 2 jobs. I already have a hard time finding time for my school work now, I can't imagine the challenges I'll face once I start college. I think about giving up all the times, but then I remember my mom never gave up on us.