“Always do your best.”
Don Miguel Ruiz - The Four Agreements
Without having read this book, my Momma would always tell me, “Mija just be a good person - do your best - the rest will follow.” Her goodness and strong faith were the light that brought so many to her as friends, as a trusted confidant and community counselor. Our house was always visited by so many who loved her. We lost her suddenly and far too young. But her words ring in my head and my heart always.
Mother’s Day has been noted as THE most celebrated holiday, surpassing Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. I recall my brother, who had worked for a large phone company, telling me the phone lines were always on overload on...Mother’s Day. In fact, I was shopping at Costco the day before Mother’s Day and the flower section is always the same near Mother’s Day…devastated - completely empty.
I am often asked what sets AGUILA apart from other college prep programs and my response is always the same - we provide a sense of belonging - a true sense of family. While many students who leave the nest are perfectly content to move on with their lives - they check in. There are others who have a strong connection and come back to Pay it Forward in service for those students who wish to follow their lead. This is the essence of my Mother’s advice and that of AGUILA. We are a family complete with our very special Mothers - AGUILA CIA (Comadres in Action).
The AGUILA CIA are a force to be reckoned with - they are powerful AGUILA Mothers who lead with purpose and dedication both to their children and those of others who cannot be at each session and/or event. They are a band of Kool-Aid Moms ensuring all the AGUILA students are well taken care of while giving life to my mother’s advice to be a good person.
These Wonder Women will be honored at our Annual Luncheon to be held on Friday, May 21st. The event will be held virtually and will celebrate those women who lift us into becoming better people. These are women you may never have seen at a luncheon or gala. Instead - these are the women who volunteer to sleep on gym floors for the weekend at our Scholarship event, who create incredible homemade meals for the students, who give up a weekend to travel on a college campus tour, who help staff prepare, clean-up and sometimes help facilitate sessions.
I personally invite you to join us in celebrating these women, most who have never been recognized nor awarded. They are in the trenches - they are community, family - they are AGUILA CIA!! See you on the 21st!
Mrs. H.
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This year's Annual Luncheon recognizes those women who lift us to a better place.
Join us as we celebrate women who mother us all.
All proceeds will benefits our college bound students. If you are unable to attend, you can still support through a donation.
Silent Auction:
Items will be available for preview and purchase located here. Items will be available for pick-up Saturday, May 22nd at Fair Trade Cafe (1020 N 1st Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85003). We would like to Thank You in person and take a quick photo! If you are not able to pick-up at this time, please contact us at (602)518-0612.
Nominate:
Honor your Mother, Grandmother, Aunt, Sister or Friend.
Includes an opportunity to showcase your nominee during the program with a picture and 2 sentences about her, which will run all of May and into June on our website.
Submissions deadline is Tuesday, May 18, 2021 and will be live until June 6th.
$50 Donation nomination.
Please submit photos to events@aguilayouth.org
Restaurants:
Order and pick up your lunch prior to the program. Many restaurants are facing hard times, we ask that you support local restaurants. Staff favorites are on our website.
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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.
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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 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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Alumni Spotlight - 2017 Cohort |
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My name is Reyna Gariepy and I graduated from Bioscience High School in 2013 as a member of Aguila’s (2017) cohort. I became a Mawrtyr in 2017 and attended a small all-women’s historic liberal arts college called Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. I studied both neuroscience and psychology, and in the spring of 2021, I will become the first graduated neuroscience major in the Bi-College Consortium. While at Bryn Mawr, I served as a Community Diversity Assistant (CDA) and Admissions Office Tour Guide. As a CDA, I held and facilitated conversations about diversity and equity to promote inclusion.
One of the most meaningful academic experiences that I had as an undergrad was conducting neuroscience research at Bryn Mawr lab under Professor Grafe in behavioral psychology. I did work investigating how stress affects the brain and behavior. Last summer, I was able to connect my two passions of neuroscience and social justice through research with the Boston University STaRS Program. I examined the effects of perceived discrimination on hippocampal subfields in humans. This year, I am completing a senior thesis on the effects of socioeconomic status on stress and coping during the Covid-19 Pandemic. For the next five years, I will be continuing my research as a PhD candidate in Neuroscience with Tufts University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences PhD in Boston. I will focus my research on underrepresented populations to work toward understanding and solving health disparities.
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Pathway Faculty Spotlight |
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My name is Mandy Oliden, known as Dr. Mandy, within Aguila and most of my little patients. I was born in Fargo, ND but have pretty much spent my entire life in Arizona. I currently live in central Phoenix with my husband, son and 2 dogs. I work as a pediatrician in Maryvale. The best part of my job is being able to build relationships with my patients and their families. I love working with kids of all ages as they each bring their own specialness. I'm blessed to work at a place with great people and lots of support. When I'm not working, I love spending time with my family, cooking, being outdoors and traveling. Ask me about the places I've been to!
I became a part of Aguila almost 4 years ago after realizing that Mrs.H was my next door neighbor! I have been head of the pre-health pathways group for 3 years now. We have been changing and growing, as we have a little bit of every interest in the medical field. My goal in pre-health is to be able to expose students to different fields, consider different career options all the while learning and appreciating how awesome and complex the human body is. I have a passion for working with the students and being able to guide them in their medical career path. This creates a perfect platform for just that!
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New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, New Mexico
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New Mexico State University sits on a 900-acre campus and enrolls more than 14,000 students from 49 states and 89 foreign countries. NMSU is a NASA Space-Grant College and is home to the very first Honors College in New Mexico. A Hispanic-Serving Institution, NMSU serves a multi-cultural population of students and community members across the state at five campuses, a satellite learning center in Albuquerque, cooperative extension offices located in each of New Mexico's 33 counties, and 12 agriculture research and science centers. Plus, distance education programs give students maximum flexibility.
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Surviving the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda |
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The Surviving Humanity (Reframing America) Seminar Series features Survivors of terrorism, acts against humanity, and other forms of genocide. This seminar series will draw comparisons of survival to the Holocaust. The seminar series will feature a primary source; an eye-witness account to the event.
Emmanuel Habimana from Kigali, Rwanda, was nine years old at the time of the Rwandan genocide. He is now a filmmaker, public speaker, and activist who engages audiences on the topics of genocide, forgiveness, and dealing with trauma. According to his press release, “His work began as a youth activist in Kigali where he collaborated with peers to assist other orphans of the 1994 Tutsi Genocide.”
Friday, May 14, 2021 from 10:00am to 12:00pm (AZ)
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Storytime was designed to inspire young children through that seed planted so long ago by Mary Gonzales Ybarra, Mrs. H's mother. Visit our website for more information to include dates/times for AGUILA Storytime and enjoy the journey through the love of reading.
Storytime this month will be on May 12th and May 26th from 6PM-7PM (AZ). Register on our website or watch the live stream on our Facebook!
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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.
Each month individuals will share stories - stay tuned for another great event on May 19, 2021 when we focus on "Stories about our Mothers". Details are forthcoming and will be shared on our website.
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SEUSS-ISMS! - A guide to Life for Those Just Starting Out…and Those Already on Their Way.
Dr. Seuss
Uphold Justice
I know, up on top
You are seeing great sights,
But down at the bottom
We too, should have rights.
__”Yertle the Turtle”
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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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