Scholar Category: Youth Mentoring

Paola Chavez Arroyo

Posted on July 11, 2017

Project: My project is a mentorship program that uses an app as the platform to bridge disadvantaged students with similar mentors in their community, and give them the tools necessary to succeed in their journey to higher education.

Inspiration: My non-traditional path to college inspires my own urge to help other students like myself in their journey to higher education. My biggest mentor is my brother older by only one year who is pioneering the college experience himself as first-generation and quickly passing on his advice to me. We didn’t have a mentor with years of experience living out our career goals but we are resourceful. I was lucky to have a wonderful role model like my brother (Fernando, also Puksta scholar) and he is my inspiration for this project, because like him, I want to pass on the selfless guidance that he gave me and use this virtual platform to reach many many more.

Future Plans: We want to be part of the movement to increase diversity and close the gender gap in technology. This project aims to reach the underrepresented and give them the chance to create bonds with mentors so they persist in their career goals. Mentors play a significant part of one’s success. I hope to bridge connections between underrepresented students and mentors and give them the tools necessary to succeed. In the shoulder of giants we stand and as a community it is important to encourage and help each other, hopefully cultivating a more accepting and united culture.

Zahra Abdulameer

Posted on July 11, 2017

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.

Oliver Martinez-Reyes

Posted on July 11, 2017

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.

Alexander Aleman

Posted on June 30, 2017

Project: I created Healthy Kids in Action because I wanted to provided a free exercise program for the kids in my community. I have a passion for exercise-which was straightened after I overcame an eating disorder, and I want to make sure kids learn how to exercise properly. Growing up my parents could not afford exercise programs for me and my summers were spent at home. With Healthy Kid in Action, I hope to get kids active during the summer, so they can not only exercise, and also gain social and leadership skills. I have developed an 8-week summer program that helps low-income students develop their leadership skills through fitness

Updates: This summer my program was not able to continue due to the pandemic. My next endeavor is to write a handbook so that other students can learn best practices and lead their own program.

Inspiration: I created Healthy Kids in Action because I wanted to provided a free exercise program for the kids in my community. I have a passion for exercise-which was straightened after I overcame an eating disorder, and I wanted to make sure kids learned how to exercise properly. Growing up my parents could not afford exercise programs for me and my summers were spent at home.

Check out his video and why he is pursuing his Puksta Project https://youtu.be/UtU7KoBG8gQ

Future Plans for Project: With Healthy Kid in Action, I hope to get kids active during the summer so they can not only exercise but also gain social and leadership skills.