(A Guest post from Shfah Saleh an Oakland public school student and Energy Convertor) As an Arab, especially a female, you experience differently. It’s kind of rare if you feel safe in the community and sometimes they don’t feel like they belong or fit in anywhere because they look different than others. For me, I’m…
Student Voices
There’s no better way to understand the importance of improving our public schools than listening to the students themselves. If you have a story to tell, or know someone who does, hit us up on our Contact Page.
Growing Up Kareem; Wanting People to See Me
(Guest Post form Karim Garcia, an Oakland public school student and Energy Convertors) Growing up was hard, tough. I was born at Kaiser in downtown Oakland. I lived in a duplex with my parents and my brothers. My extended family lived in the same duplex. Well, that didn’t last long. We eventually left that place…
Creating A Culture Of College Success Through Mentorship In Richmond
(A guest post from Daniela Felix on our sister blog La Comadre, would love to hear some Oakland stories as well) Any first generation college student can attest to the importance of mentorship in supporting them through the college years. For first generation college students in particular, the first year of college can be an…
What Does It Mean To Be Yemeni At School? Getting Closer to Answers
(A guest post from Edrees Saied a recent graduate from Oakland Tech and one of Oakland’s Energy Convertors) What does it mean to be Yemeni at school? Who knows? But I’m finding communities that are helping me figure that out. After participating in the event, “Yemen: Global to Local to Household,” I got closer to learning how…
Her School Cut the Mic on this Courageous Valedictorian when She Talked About Sexual Assault, Please Read and Share the Full Story, and Help End a Culture of Silence
Lulabel Seitz is a model student to most, an example of hard work paying off, and rising from humble beginnings to a valedictorian. Her commencement speech at Petaluma High School touched on the challenges students faced in the North Bay; fires and displacement, a teacher strike, and her own personal struggles to climb the educational…