Scholar Category: Education

Tiffany Tasker

Project: My Puksta Project for the year is teaching Financial Education to the youth (Middle School). I will be working with the Financial Economic and Education Transformation (FEET) Center. I’ve decided to focus mainly on the Aurora School District considering they are a more diverse school district. I have noticed that the youth has a lack of financial education which is a necessity to have in order to successfully sustain yourself. Overall, as a community, the people who lack this knowledge are people who are African American, Native American, Mexican Indian, Asian American, etc. As a student, I have noticed that the Cherry Creek District students have business and finance courses that are more rigorous than Aurora and Denver Public Schools. By starting small I will teach finance at Aurora Public Schools and if my plan succeeds I will eventually move on to Denver Public Schools. I have started my project in making a Business Proposal to demonstrate to the schools or youth aimed organizations what I plan to do, budgeting cost for my project, and informing them about the FEET Center. My next step was to create the curriculum. After I finish the curriculum, I plan to teach finance where the youth group meets or as an after school program.

Inspiration: Well, I began as a student in finance club that was sponsored by the Financial Education Economic Transformation (FEET) Center. As I was in the program for four years I gained interest in the knowledge and developed an idea that the reason why many people are struggling to get through life is that they do not have background knowledge in financial education. That led me to want to continue to work with the FEET Center.

Future Plans for Project: With my civic engagement work, I hope to accomplish building a better community where people are able to sustain themselves and achieve their goals wisely.


Stephanie Herrera

Project: Working with High School Students to educate them on how to attend a 2-4 year university.

Inspiration: My own background and identity as an immigrant.

Future Plans for Project: Increase the number of students attending college after graduating high school that identify as ASSETT or DACA


Ji Hee Yoon

Project: Creating a course and facilitating for 8th-12th grade high school students: Civic Engagement in Community and Career. Giving students the tools to engage effectively in their community.

Inspiration: Their commitment to social justice.

Future Plans for Project: To give students the tools and how-to’s to engage in their own communities effectively.


Binh Phan

Project:  1. To educated and increase awareness to others on the history of where the model minority myth came from and how it became a political narrative against other minority group.

2. To learn the methods involved in qualitative research and carry out a research project on the AAPI students population at CuDenver

3. To Create a Space for a AAPI students to share their stories/struggles to others through the use of interview/oral history

4. To developed and plan a space/event to showcase the stories of AAPI who does not fit the Model Minority Myth narrative by the sharing of their stories to the public for final project

Inspiration: As an Asian American student, I went through the same problem of trying to navigate through the school system while dealing with all the pressure on me. I hope to help students after me.

Future Plans for Project: I hope to dismantle the Asian Minority Myth and I also hope to help AAPI students after me. I hope they understand the different issues in their own community and continue to build a network of community engagement.


Zahra Abdulameer

Project: My project is about helping muslim youth navigate the education system better. This includes helping them understand social/financial/academic/and faith based issues and how to better go about them successfully.

Inspiration: I am a refugee/immigrant myself. If I had someone direct me in an educational path rather than trying to figure everything out myself, it would have made my time as a student a lot more efficient and easy.

Future Plans for Project: I hope to make at least one student’s future brighter by being a resource to them and exposing them to all the opportunities they have.


Luis Paredes

Project: “Funding the Dream”

For my Puksta Project, I want to establish a mechanism that will provide financial assistance to these DACA students.

I will need to find a vehicle/mechanism that complies with any rules and regulations of governing bodies. This means the vehicle will allow for fundraising, funds management, and fund disbursement while staying within the restrictions established by governing bodies such as educational institutions.

Inspiration: “Catch 22; I want to go to college but I need to spend a major part of my time at work because I need to pay for school out-of-pocket.” I want DACA students to focus on their school work.

Future Plans for Project: The projected results will allow for financial assistance to those DACA beneficiaries whose Employment Authorization Document expires [From] March 6, 2018.


Oliver Martinez-Reyes

Project: My Puksta project centers on expanding access for underrepresented students to obtain a financial literacy education, explore career opportunities, and receive a post-secondary education while still in high school. Taking on any of these three pillars alone is quite the task, so I decided to enlist my community partners’ support and expand my leadership role within them. This year I was invited to join the Junior Achievement Engage Board, the junior board for Junior Achievement. Upon entering the board, I was given the leadership opportunity to be the JA Bowl-A-Thon Coordinator. My responsibilities entail organizing the JA Bowl-A-Thon for the board. This annual fundraiser contributes to the 1/3 of JA’s total revenue, which allows them to provide financial literacy education to students K-12. My goal this year is to raise $4,250 a 50% increase from last year. Furthermore, in the fall, I was invited to join the College in High School Alliance Ambassador Network, which is the board for the College in High School Alliance (CHSA). CHSA is a coalition of leading national and state organizations that works towards a future where every state, and the federal government, have a policy framework that ensures that students across the U.S have access to concurrent enrollment and dual enrollment for free. We have monthly meetings to discuss the current federal and state policies in place and how each state adapts to incorporate them. I’m the youngest and second student on the board. I offer my experience during my high school journey and my experience as a current college student.

Inspiration: Coming from both a first generation and low-income family I had no one to vouch for me or help me understand how to prepare myself for higher education and a professional career. So I had to do a lot of research and constant risk-taking, to find the resources that got me to where I am today. I know that behind me are many, so I want to help others from my similar background achieve the realization that a higher education and any economic career is possible.

Future Plans For Project: Through my civic engagement work, I hope to develop go-getters, who are active in paying forward their wisdom and helping the next generation develop a strong sense of purpose.


Lumiere Sidonie

Project: I work to promote community development, socioeconomic sectors, and invests in the education, progress and advancement of Congolese youth in the diaspora and back home. The EFA team harnesses the power of education, innovation, entrepreneurship ,economic resources, and other aspects of advancement to stimulate adequate and equitable investment in Congolese youth and Afrikan youth. EFA believes that educating Congolese young people is investing in a better future.

Inspiration: I had a conversation with a canvasser who enlightened me on the issues immigrants and refugees are facing at Aurora Central regarding their cultural clothing and the “dress code.”

Future Plans for Project: I hope to understand how education in America as impacted immigrants and refugees negatively and positively


Lucia Ramirez

Project: My Puksta Project for the upcoming academic year will concentrate on equity within education resources across communities.

Inspiration: My involvement with a range of programs that bring together people from around the globe (like the Youth Awards Leadership Camp, Student Board of Education, Youth for National Change, etc.) and being able to ask others about their perspectives with their education systems, listening to injustices that come with our education systems, inspired me to choose my Puksta Project.

Future Plans for Project: I hope to help individuals reach personal aspirations through having more access to educational resources, whether it be through technology, financial aid, making opportunities more evident, etc.