This article is part of our Legends Interview Program. An Alumni Association initiative to record the experiences of alumni and share with our community. This interview took place on April 10th, 2022. Schedule an interview or submit your own story to us by emailing us at info@foreveraneasttechtitan.com.
Hi alumni! I wanted to share something that’s very important that I’ve learned at East Tech and one of the Titan values I’ve learned is “giving back” to our community.
I grew up on the east side of Vegas where I know for many of you who have lived on the east side of Vegas is predominantly a low-income area that is under resourced.
Coming from a first generation immigrant family, I’ve seen how people have struggled getting the necessary resources. With having a high school education and even a college/specific trade school degree, educational degrees help unlock new opportunities to support ourselves, our families, and also our community. I’m here to share what we can do to help our community.
A little bit about me, I’ve worked with several community organizations during my college years addressing issues that were important to me as well as currently being a board member of Leaders In Training (known as “LIT”), a grassroots community-based program that operates as an after school non-profit organization located in East Las Vegas with a focus of empowering first-generation college graduates to be the next-generation of leaders fighting to eliminate systemic and structural inequities in education.
Many of you have participated in at least one club at East Tech or have done multiple clubs. For a variety of reasons, I think the common thing we all share was that we want to give back and help others.
I encourage you to keep that mentality of “giving back” even after graduating. Here’s a couple of reasons why:
Change starts with you
No change can start unless you decide that you are the “change”. Get active with community organizations that are in need of volunteers or people in leadership positions.
There are others like “you”
We all have our fair share of stories about how our families worked their hardest, and had multiple jobs to support us. It’s important to remember that sacrifice and realize you can help change that narrative for future generations who are still first generation students. You can make this journey easier for the future generations by helping to make resources available.
Uplift others
Just like at East Tech, we are constantly helping each other grow. Don’t stop that mentality. If you see people who are struggling, become a mentor. Be their guide to get them out of whatever they’re facing.
Mr. Ryan helped me understand the importance of giving back and through my involvement with different clubs such as HOSA, it helped me connect the importance to constantly give back. Others before us have helped us at some point, so it’s definitely important to return the favor and pass this down to someone in need.
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