Bay Area evacuee
/My time in high school
Attended high school in the
2010s
Overall high school experience
4/10. I attended a PAUSD high school for 2.5 years before attending two alternative high schools. [High school name omitted] did not do a good job of supporting students who faced trauma, adversity or poverty.
Grades in high school
C’s and below. My grades plummeted leading up to and after my father’s death at 15.
Favorite subjects
Foreign Language
Life since high school
“Finding the intersection between your talent and your interests. Learning to practice self-care and self-compassion. Learning to be yourself unapologetically.”
Attended college / university at
I attended Foothill College for two years before transferring to the University of Iowa where I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Ethics and Public Policy and minors in French and Sociology. I then served as an AmeriCorps VISTA conducting research with a local food bank about food insecurity in our community.
Post-graduate education or training
I received my Master of Social Work earlier this spring.
Places lived in US
Iowa
Current occupations / past occupations
I work as a Policy Analyst for a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization studying tax and budget and economic opportunity with a focus on how public policies impact low-income families. I have worked in educational equity, health policy, sociology and economics. I worked as a school social worker at an alternative school.
Industries I've worked in
- Educational Services
- Health Care and Social Assistance
- Other Services (except Public Administration) (e.g. Repair, Salon, Political/Labor orgs, etc.)
- Nonprofit
A little introspection...
To me, being successful means...
Finding the intersection between your talent and your interests. Learning to practice self-care and self-compassion. Learning to be yourself unapologetically.
My definition of success has changed over time.
My greatest accomplishment to date and what I’ve learned from it
Investing heavily in my mental health. I’ve learned that we need to set boundaries and prioritize self care consistently, while balancing self-forgiveness.
An unexpected event that significantly changed my life and how it impacted me
My father passed away while I was a student at [High school name omitted]. It still impacts me today and has become my drive in my career. My friends who were there for me at that time are some of the most cherished people in my life.
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