Cristina Sarmiento, a second-year psychology student, finds empowerment through the community service organization, Latinas Guiding Latinas De UCLA. The organization, also known as LGL, pursues its goal every year by motivating and empowering the Latinx community. Their goal is to strive to mentor and guide the children through any hardships, particularly when reaching their dreams of higher education. We met up to discuss more about the club and how it impacts her life as a student.
Her Campus: What is your role in the club?
Cristina Sarmiento: I am a mentor at Nava College Preparatory Academy in Los Angeles, and I am the Co-Chair of the Field Trip Sub-Committee. I handle the funding for field trips, in charge of food orders, plan activities for the kids to do, and help oversee the committee.
HC: How did you become involved the organization?
CS: They were recruiting at the enormous activities fair and the club interested me. I had already felt empty at UCLA and having mentored at home. I felt a necessity to join this club.
HC: What do you love most about your club? What does it mean for you to be apart of Latinas Guiding Latinas?
CS: I feel apart of the community of Latinas like I was back home, and I love helping children and adolescents. I say this because adolescents aren’t considered children, but they need the same nourishment.
HC: What are some of the challenges of being a mentor?
CS: Sometimes the students would get a little rowdy, they are talkative, and so it is a little hard to settle them down, but overall it is worth it to see the positives from mentoring them, such as having them talk to you about their academic challenges, sharing personal struggles, and seeing them grow as individuals. Sometimes it is hard to come up with topics and activities and stressful to plan upcoming field trips when in midterm season.
HC: Is there any advice you would give to people who want to volunteer or work with children, especially in underrepresented communities?
CS: Be patient with them and do NOT give up on them. Give them the opportunities other people wouldn’t dare give them the chance for. They are not always given the support they need to be motivated to succeed and reach their potential.
HC: What kinds of students are you hoping to take interest and join your club?
CS: People who are reliable, patient and motivated to help them achieve a higher education for a more successful life. We want the mentees to have someone who is going to be there for them and not be backing out of the commitment to them.
HC: How does your club empower college women?
CS: It brings together Latinas to form a community. We help motivate and inspire one another and remind each other that we are not alone in our challenges. We bond over helping soon-to-be college women.
HC: How does the club help you to structure your career goals?
CS: I am not sure how or what specific career path I want to take yet. The one thing I know for sure is that I want to work with children who need that extra push to boost their confidence so that they may succeed. I know that being a mentor now to these students, I will be able to help others as well, either as teacher or social worker.
HC: And lastly are there any big goals you have for your club that you hope to achieve within the year or even the next quarter?
CS: We hope to seek out more volunteers and network with more schools that will benefit from our service as mentors to underrepresented areas here in Los Angeles.