You Can’t Do It Alone
“If you want to change the world - find someone to help you paddle”
Lesson #2 from “Make Your Bed”
Admiral William H. McRaven (U.S. Navy Retired)
Do you ever find yourself overwhelmed, feeling as if you are alone in your struggle as you face challenges whether in school, work, home? I know I did - not only when I was in high school, but in college, work, my health and in creating and sustaining AGUILA. But my Daddy, who was always providing “life lessons” taught me that there are many people who come into your life - they become your friends. It is those friends you can rely on to help you meet those challenges. I recall he had a fat wallet in his back pants pocket and anytime any of his 7 children, my Momma or anyone else would come to him with a challenge, he would pull out that wallet. There was no money, we were poor, but he told us he had something greater - cards or pieces of paper with names and numbers - his friends. He had no iPhone with Contacts - Daddy had his wallet and we all knew how valuable it was.
Throughout my life I have pulled out my wallet which has evolved into my iPhone Contacts and I am blessed to have incredible people in my life to help me through difficult times, to create something and to celebrate. Life has a way of presenting challenges, however if you look carefully, often more times than not - there is a lesson, there is something there that causes your brain to “think”. One of those was college for me and how to maneuver through the many steps. But as the Beatles (a music group for you young ones) song states “I got by with a little help from my friends.” There were difficult times but I learned so much from it and the experience left me with the desire to help others through AGUILA, created with help from wonderful friends more than 20 years ago.
In his book, “Make Your Bed”, Admiral McRaven, describes his challenges and teaches us to find others to help you paddle…
I learned early on in SEAL training the value of teamwork, the need to rely on someone else to help you through the difficult task. For those of us who were “tadpoles” hoping to become Navy frogmen, a ten-foot rubber raft was used to teach us this vital lesson…During my time in the SEAL Teams I had numerous setbacks, and in each case, someone came forward to help me: someone who had faith in my abilities; someone who saw potential in me where others might not; someone who risked their own reputation to advance my career. I have never forgotten those people and I know that anything I achieved in my life was a result of others who have helped me along the way. None of us are immune from life’s tragic moments. Like the small rubber boat, we had in basic SEAL training, it takes a team of good people to get you to your destination in life. You cannot paddle the boat alone. Find someone to share your life with. Make as many friends as possible, and never forget that your success depends on others.
AGUILA has met many challenges and still today, we are faced with the challenge of yet another virus. So as my Daddy before me - I pull out my wallet (iPhone for me) of Contacts. It is filled with my friends, friends of AGUILA, friends who are like-minded and truly dedicated to helping our students succeed. We meet the challenges together in this new academic year with our staff:
Monica Avila, Analyssa Flores, Caleb Gomez, Lisa Lopez Risch, Bob Wenham, Dina Eloi and welcome new staff members Cora Perez, Daisy Martinez, Catherine Ojeda, Giselle Loredo and Vique Diane Rojas.
We are blessed with our College Prep and Pathways Faculty:
Dr. Montye Fuse, John Ojeda, Leonard Rivera, Dr. Emily Schwartz, Teresa Cruz, Dr. Charles Calleros, Ashlyn Narvaez, Kassandra Garcia, Jose Sanchez, Marcos Tapia, Eric Rodriguez, Zamantha Lopez, Maria Reyes, Tony Fusco and Dr. Mandy Oliden.
Together, we are the AGUILA Team and like Admiral McRaven’s Navy Seal Team, we continue to paddle through rough seas that present challenges. But we have each other to meet them head on in assisting our students, families and communities. We are excited to announce our new address within the Cartwright School District at Starlight Park School where we are creating our new and exciting:
AGUILA NEST
7960 W. Osborn Road
Phoenix, AZ 85033
Our new home presents incredible possibilities because we pulled out our “wallet” of Contacts with partnerships that include: Cartwright School District, Grand Canyon University, St. Joseph the Worker, Dress for Success, Chicanos Por La Causa, Charles Drew University of Science and Medicine, Arizona State University, National Hispanic Bar Association, Los Abogados, MidFirst Bank, Maricopa Community College District, Arizona Humanities, Arizona Jewish Historical Society and many more to come.
If you or someone you know has interest in volunteering and/or partnering in growing our “wallet” in serving our students, families and communities, please give us a call at (602) 518-0612 or email us at info@aguilayouth.org to inquire about partnerships or at volunteer@aguilayouth.org to volunteer.
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From Center for Disease Control(CDC):
Key Things to Know about the COVID-19 Vaccine
- COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.
-
You may have side effects after vaccination, but these are normal.
- It typically takes two weeks after you are fully vaccinated for the body to build protection (immunity) against the virus that causes COVID-19.
How to Protect Yourself When Going Out
· Wear a mask that covers your mouth AND nose to help protect yourself and others.
· Stay 6 feet apart from others who don’t live with you.
· Avoid crowds.
· Avoid poorly ventilated indoor spaces.
· Wash your hands often with soap and water. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water aren’t available.
If You are at Risk of Getting Very Sick
· People of any age can get COVID-19, even healthy young adults, and children.
· People who are older or have certain underlying medical conditions are at higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19.
· Other groups may be at higher risk for getting COVID-19 or having a more severe illness.
What to Do If You're Sick
· STAY HOME except to get medical care.
· Isolate yourself from other members of your family to prevent spread to them and the people that they may have contact with, like grandparents.
· Even if you don’t feel sick, you can spread COVID-19 to others.
· Get care immediately if you are having emergency warning signs, like trouble breathing, pain or pressure in the chest.
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Ian Vicino was born in North Hollywood, California before moving to Arizona at 16. His mother is from Honduras and far from Uruguay making him a proud Latino. He is the first in his family to graduate college, receiving his undergraduate in Biochemistry, a master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences, and is now working on his PhD in Neuroscience. Ian’s journey has not been an easy one as he continues to push toward his goals. His aim in documenting his struggles is to inspire others to continue pushing forward, overcoming obstacles and achieving goals.
Born with a genetic disorder, Ian faced many challenges he will continued to face the rest of his life that began with a coma before his 13th birthday. Pronounced dead by hospital doctors he fortunately recovered. He does not recall this incident, he vaguely recalls the removal of a breathing tube and the many times he was hospitalized. One can only imagine his struggle, however Ian’s outlook on life is remarkable. He states, “I look at life on Earth as being finite so I want to make the most out of it that I can, and hopefully help improve other lives in the process.
Unfortunately, health issues prevented him from graduating 8th grade due to the impact the coma had on his life with teachers advising his mother he would probably not graduate high school. Ian tells us
If I am being honest, grades had not been my strong suit in school, not until I got into graduate school did I become an A student. I was basically a C and D student in school, but honestly, I don’t remember my grades that much. What I do remember is what I learned in school, because I continue to build off that foundational knowledge every day. To any parents out there with kids who are struggling in school, support them and praise them for their C’s, at least they aren’t F’s. My mom’s wish for me to get a good education, her celebration of my little victories, and my own perseverance helped me get to where I am today, even though I was getting those terrible grades.
Attending two years of high school in California his family moved to Arizona where he completed high school not without encountering challenges that became his first experience with racism. He would witness the difficulty his mother encountered trying to enroll him until his father and stepmom, who is Caucasian, were allowed to enroll him.
While in high school, his mother learned about AGUILA where he began attending the monthly meetings. AGUILA provided guidance with FAFSA, which was not provided in high school, and additional resources and information to get into a university. He recalls
Basically, AGUILA taught my mom how to help me get to college and provided me with the tools needed to get there. I applied to and was accepted to Arizona State University (ASU) in 2009 and graduated in 2012. Looking back, I had such a good time in college with some of my sweetest memories from my time at ASU. Some of the classes were difficult, some were boring, and some were downright unintelligible, but eventually I graduated. I achieved more than was thought possible by my teachers in middle and high school.
After obtaining his undergraduate degree Ian set his sights on a PhD. He was interested in a different experience and was accepted to the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) as a PhD student in Biochemistry. Mississippi was a bit of a culture shock for him but he found it fun and eventful with many stories of his adventures. However, during the end of his second year he became ill and was hospitalized, with no friends to assist him and having to contact the ambulance himself. It was a frightening experience that forced him to cut his studies short and head back to Arizona. Fortunately, he had completed enough credits with excellent grades that resulted in a Masters in Biomedical Sciences.
The Master’s Degree provided entrance to a PhD in Neuroscience at ASU where his research focus is in herpes simplex virus infection of the nervous system. He is still overcoming obstacles, but is confident he can overcome them. Life continues to present challenges, especially as a student of color which little can make it more difficulty towards achieving success. He notes very few Hispanic/Latino women and men working on their PhDs. Women of Color have it particularly difficult in his opinion, because they are not only looked down upon for being a woman but also for being a minority. He states,
But this struggle, these obstacles allow us to be stronger than our counterparts. My mother and wife are the strongest people I know, because of all they had to overcome. We, as Latinos, can be strong, and we can push forward because we have overcome so much already. A diamond is not made with cotton balls and ice cream, diamonds are made in a furnace of molten magma and extreme pressures. Carbon first must experience extreme heat and pressure before it can be made into the beauty of a diamond, so must we as a people endure and overcome our struggles to achieve our dreams.
Ian Vicino, one of AGUILA’s champions - a True Diamond!!
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Glendale Community College
Glendale Community College upholds the guiding principles and foundations of the Maricopa Community College District and works to serve the diverse and evolving needs of students and the community.
Education has the power to inspire growth and change lives. Since 1965 Glendale Community College has welcomed over 500,000 students as they worked towards graduating with two-year degrees, transferring to a university, completing new career training, or finishing an occupational certificate.
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Pathway Faculty Spotlight |
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Ashlyn is a 3L at Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at ASU. She graduated summa cum laude from Arizona State University with a degree in Political Science. She received her Masters in Education from UNLV while teaching through Teach For America in Las Vegas. She then worked for the Department of the Air Force as a FOIA manager. Ashlyn externed for Judge Humetewa last Summer and is currently externing for the Arizona Federal Public Defender's Office. Ashlyn is most honored by her position in CLLSA as the Youth Development Chair and finds joy in her time working with Aguila and the incredible students. Their examples of resiliency and passion are what she holds most dear. Last but not least, she is a proud dog mama to a Golden Retriever and a Chocolate Lab. |
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In AGUILA we believe that "You must know where you come from in order to know where you are going." AGUILA students participate in the AGUILA Oral History Project developed by Dr. Christine Marin/ASU Emeritus where they research their family to discover upon whose shoulders they stand. The project instills a sense of self, belonging and pride as motivation and inspiration in pursuit of their college education with greater FUERZA (force). The AGUILA StoryTELLING project is an extension of the student assignment providing additional stories told by individuals from across the country and from different backgrounds. Our first event was held on March 31, 2021 in honor of Cesar Chavez's Birthday and Women's Herstory Month featuring stories told by 5 amazing women from Arizona, Washington, Texas and Indiana. In April we featured brothers, Danny and David Diaz along with Thomas Valles - the original runners from McFarland High School who were portrayed in one of AGUILA's favorite movies - McFarland, USA. The theme for April's Storytelling was "Preparing for the Race" that focused on setting your goals. The McFarland Team will be back to kick-off our 2021-2022 year helping us to motivate and inspire our students. Stay tuned.
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SEUSS-ISMS! - A guide to Life for Those Just Starting Out…and Those Already on Their Way.
Dr. Seuss
Surround yourself with Good People
But the YEPS
On the STEPS -
They’re great fun
To have around.
And so are
Many, many
Other friends
That I have found . . .
- There’s a Wocket in My Pocket!
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You can help us make a difference in the lives of a growing number of students who aspire to create change through education. Your generosity is greatly appreciated and is tax-deductible. |
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