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I am now a “Rising Senior”!

So I finished my Junior year at HTHCV!! I don’t want to show off, but I think my final grades are pretty good ;-). What was especially nice was this message from my two team teachers:

“Luz! Words can’t fully describe how thankful we are to have been your junior year teachers. Your name is so appropriate because you really are the type of person who shines light into the darkness. You provide eloquent wording to people’s thoughts that they can’t quite articulate yet as well as action steps for how to do something about it. You are unapologetically yourself – setting an example for both your peers and teachers for what it means to work hard and laugh at the same time. Your voice has been integral to our evolution as teachers and we thank for you that. Everything you say is thought out and articulate. You’re not afraid to ask questions or be an advocate for yourself. At the beginning of this year, you didn’t necessarily view yourself as a scientists or as someone who would go into the sciences, but you made one of the best Making Waves Documentaries and Infographic of the class. To us, this illustrates that your mindset had changed in regards to how you view yourself as a scientist. Between the gun violence walkout, Ethnic Studies, and MEChA next year, you set the bar for what student leadership looks like and for how HTHCV can evolve has a community. Next year, we hope that you continue to take care of yourself. The work that brings you energy can often also be draining, and much like your mentor Diana mentioned, it’s important to ensure that you make time for yourself. Whether it’s through the Danza Azteca or other forms of artistic expression, we hope that you embrace that space for yourself. Overall, we hope that you are happy and thriving in your final year at HTHCV. Thank you so much for everything and good luck in 12th grade and beyond! With love, Ms. Mackenzie and Ms. Meghan”

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Prague 2018

During the early weeks of June I was able to visit Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. Everyday that I spent in Prague was memorable and one of the most enjoyable times that I have spent with my family. The city was absolutely beautiful. We walked across the town and explored something new everyday. My favorite parts of Prague were the castle and Charles Bridge. At both of these attractions I was able to overlook the amazing city, and I noticed how unique the rooftops were, and how bright every building was. Prague was like no other place I have ever visited. Everything I saw seemed to be ancient and untouched for hundreds of years, something I found to be especially unique. I hope to return one day and visit more of Europe to learn about its deep history.

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Dr. Frances Contreras & EDI

Like I have mentioned in my previous blog posts, I had the amazing opportunity to intern at the office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) at UCSD and shadow Dr. Frances Contreras, the Vice Chancellor of this office. The reason why I chose this internship was because of my interest in being an educator and working with students in higher education. I wanted my mentor to be a person that could show me that I am capable of achieving what they have done in their career, and that is exactly what  Dr. Contreras provided for me. The work that Dr. Contreras does for UCSD is inspiring, and of such great importance. I hope to one day make as much of a difference as she does. She showed me what it means to be a highly educated leader, and as a young Latina I saw evidence of why I must be true to myself. She is an incredible role model.

My experience at UCSD was incredibly successful! I learned about what steps are being taken to work toward making UCSD a more diverse and equitable campus, and what the UC system does to support the existing population of students from underrepresented backgrounds. I found that I thrive in spaces like this one, where professional people seek answers to questions related diversity and are passionate about education. For the first time I really saw myself one day being a part of an institution like this one. Realizing this was not hard to do, considering I had such an amazing mentor to look up to.

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MEChA at HTHCV

One of my biggest takeaways from interning at the UCSD office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion was understanding the importance of having a space dedicated to bringing together like minded students with similar experiences who can then work toward being agents of change in their communities. I found that I wanted this for my campus, so I have been inspired to be a part of a group of students who will create the first MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano/Chicana de Aztlan) at High Tech High Chula Vista.

MEChA at HTHCV would be a space for people of any background or experiences to pursue higher education, become community leaders, and simultaneously learn about Latina/o identities, culture, and history. This would be an amazing culture shift for our campus where currently the student body that is predominantly made up of Latina/os but this is not reflected in the traditional curriculum.

Historically, MEChA has advocated the belief that political involvement and education is the avenue for change in our society. At HTHCV we will promote these ideas through the subjects that we discuss in class and the activities that will take place during the year. Some of the activities that we foresee MEChA doing for its students would be history lectures, community volunteer work, and attending local university conferences aimed at high school Mechistas.

I am very excited to be a part of something so momentous and necessary at my school, and hope that by this time next year I will be a proud Mechista graduate.

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Junior Internship at UCSD

During the month of May 2018, I am working as an intern for Dr. Frances Contreras, who is an associate Vice Chancellor for the UCSD Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Along with basing my internship out of this office, I have had the opportunity to accompany Dr. Contreras to meetings regarding campus services like OASIS and Summer Bridge, and listen in on discussions about diversity and Latino faculty. I was also able to attend a lecture for one of her graduate courses in the department of Education Studies that was for future educators.

Honestly it is such an honor to be able to be helpful in these spaces with so many intellectuals and educators. I have become much more aware of what it is like to be an academic. I am especially interested in how many serious issues involving the campus are brought up during these meetings. As an academic you are not only expected to think critically about everything that is said, but also find possible solutions. This is different from what I have experienced in high school, were it is expected that educators generally follow preconceived notions about what is known and what is acceptable. In the spaces I have visited at UCSD, people are encouraged to think in innovative or completely new ways. This is what I have enjoyed most about my internship so far, and I really can’t wait to begin my own higher education and to build my own college community.