I have always been drawn to leadership opportunities that focus on fostering communication, trust, and community care.
Being a first-generation, low-income Mexican-American raised in the city of Pomona, I am conscious of the impact communal care has and the ways it nurtures my constant growth and potential. This innate drive to create community has inspired me to challenge myself and carve out a community at Scripps focused on validation, compassion, and presence – all things that sustain the mind, body, and soul of Scripps students.
Through my involvement as an NSPO Peer Mentor coordinator for three years, I have been able to build meaningful and strong friendships with my first-year mentees. Initially, it was not easy, as many of my mentees were nervous to open up. However, I was able to quickly close that gap by being vulnerable and authentic with my mentees, especially in times of need. I know firsthand how powerful the energy upperclassmen gave to me was in helping me thrive as a first-year, so I felt I had a collective responsibility to continue sowing the seeds of communal care for new first-year students. Through my authenticity, leadership, and vulnerability, I was able to create a safe space where soulful connections fostered not only with students but with campus workers as well.
Acclimating to a new environment and life at Scripps was not easy for me at first, so I will never forget the warmth that welcomed me with every dining hall, groundskeeping, and housekeeping worker. Being in constant contact with the workers very much resembled the working class community I had in Pomona. I saw them tending to our campus and community every day and deeply value their work as they are our backbone and make sure we function every day. Out of love and respect for our staff, I became the Vice President of the Claremont-Student Worker-Alliance (CSWA) in order to give back to those that have cared for me. I helped coordinate various worker appreciation events centered around the importance of worker visibility in connection to student-worker relationships. As a result of these worker visibility efforts, we were able to successfully raise $68,441 dollars to help workers across the Claremont Colleges with Covid medical expenses and groceries to sustain their families during the beginning of the pandemic. Without building community, both within the CSWA core group, between students and workers, none of this solidarity work would have been fruitful.
Canvas and button making at Scripps worker appreciation event
CSWA was a home away from home for me and still today, I love seeing the workers’ smiles on campus as their faces lit up whenever I greet them. I am very thankful that community care has been something that I was able to cultivate and continue within Scripps College for people that come from similar communities within the Inland Empire Area.