“I love being able to see them grow as young adults. Being able to add fuel to that motivation of wanting to become amazing humans”.
Growing up in Northern California, Itza was a member of Upward Bound, a nonprofit organization that helps low income or single parent families navigate the education system to encourage kids to pursue higher education. During her time in Upward Bound, she was able to gain the skills and receive the encouragement she needed to graduate high school and attend CSU Chico. She credits Upward Bound as helping her realize the value of an education, and knew she wanted to instill that into the future generation.
During Itza’s senior year at Chico State, she decided to volunteer at the local Boys & Girls Club in Chico, CA. Her favorite part about her job was being able to forge bonds with the members through tutoring, gala events, fishing trips and field trips to Sacramento King Games. She even was able to forge partnerships with other local businesses and retails stores to help her members gain valuable real-world work experience. When the job opportunity arose for Itza to become staff, she jumped at the opportunity. Becoming a member of the BGC staff, Itza was able to impact more lives on a deeper level. In June of 2015, when the opportunity came to work for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor, she realized that she could impact more kids and made the move down to the LA Harbor area. She is currently the San Pedro Club Elementary and Middle School Site Coordinator. In the three years that she had been with the Club, she has worked to improve the education and College Bound program on the elementary and middle school level. Because of Itza, many of our members have to opportunity to learn how to navigate the education system. She continues to impact lives every day.
Her favorite part of coming to work is being able to bond with our members. Many of our kids have lack the opportunity to sit down and simply tell someone about their day. Itza and our staff enjoy being the person our members can go to when they need someone to listen to them. Watching the members grow within the Club, work with other and become leaders in the community makes it worth it to Itza. She adds the fuel to our members’ motivation of wanting to become amazing humans.
Itza will soon be going back to school to get her Master’s degree in education. She hopes to return to Upward Bound to be an advisor for the many young adults that are first generation in their families to go to college.