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Vallejo student credits 'Ser Latino' program and staff with helping her feel accepted
Summary
Sonia Valdez, an 11th‑grade student at Vallejo High School, said culturally aligned staff and the Ser Latino program helped her feel safe and accepted at school; she also described attending the National League of Cities conference in March and the ongoing support of counselors, the principal and coaches.
Sonia Valdez, an 11th‑grade student at Vallejo High School in the Vallejo City Unified School District, said she felt welcomed and supported at school because of culturally responsive staff and the district’s Ser Latino program. "Hola, me llamo Sonia Valdez, soy una latina en la Escuela Preparatoria Vallejo y voy en mi grado 11," she said.
Valdez described arriving from Morelia, Michoacán as a child and later moving to Vallejo, where she said she ‘‘instantly made the connection’’ with an office staff member she identified as Sra. See because they are both Mexican and Spanish‑speaking. "Como yo era latina y ella era mexicana, era como ese clic instantáneo... las dos hablamos español, las dos venimos de México," she said, adding that the connection made her feel she could speak without fear of not being understood.
She said she and her mother sought a school with cultural diversity and found the Ser Latino program at Vallejo High School. Valdez described visual cues in the director’s office — "papel picado" and Hispanic flags — that signaled inclusion. "Yo inmediatamente podía ver el papel picado en la pared, podía ver todas las banderas hispanas... aquí es donde yo me siento aceptada, aquí es donde yo me siento a salvo," she said.
Valdez also said students from Vallejo attended the National League of Cities conference in Washington, D.C. in March and had opportunities to speak with youths from other cities about community issues and how to improve their communities. "Este marzo pasado atendimos la Conferencia de National League of Cities en Washington, D.C. ... tuvimos la oportunidad de hablar de algunos problemas que tengamos en nuestra comunidad," she said.
She credited Srta. Almaraz, a counselor at the Mare Island Health and Wellness Academy, with consistent support from eighth grade through high school, calling that continued help a source of pride and reassurance. Valdez also named Principal Sra. Marshall and several coaches as adults who have supported her both in sports and in life, saying they offered advice on bad and good days.
Valdez closed her remarks urging attention to the district: "Piensa en VCUSD primero." The transcript provided does not record any formal response or subsequent action by district officials.
