Jackie*

My name is Jackie Rodriguez, and I am 22 years old. I am the only female in my family to have attended a university. I come from a low-income Mexican family, and neither of parents completed high school. Where I come from it is easier to get pregnant than to get an education. I have been working in a federal agency’s human resource office for the past two years. I am a member of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (M.E.Ch.A). This organization focuses on higher education, political awareness, and culture. Within this organization, I have participated in political coalitions, tutoring, mentoring, and other volunteer activities. I enjoy dancing, cooking, and playing pool and cards.

Being raised in poverty, surrounded by crime, and witness to a lot of young girls becoming pregnant, motivated me to pursue a higher education. Experiencing the discrimination of the educational system and society in general as a woman of color, I feel I have gained an understanding of inequality. Not only have I experience discrimination from society but from my own culture. For example, my extended family members are more concerned with my marriage and future children than my education. I am the only one of my high school friends to have attended college. Most of my friends got pregnant in high school and either dropped out or went to a continuation school.

I have experienced many difficult health issues, and I know what it is like not knowing where to go to find information and lacking financial resources. On my 20th birthday, I went to a club and was drugged with GHB. After experiencing this near-death situation, I want to help other young women overcome tragedies. After reading about this program, I knew that this is a perfect way for me to help young women cope with difficult situations.

Through M.E.Ch.A, I have come to understand that homophobia exists in our community, and that we must educate ourselves and put a stop to homophobia in our community. We must provide a safe environment for Chicanas/os who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender (LGBT). Through M.E.Ch.A, I have attended workshops and learned a lot about the LGBT community.

Although I come from a disadvantage background, I have not let that be an obstacle to my educational and career goals. In essence, it has made me a better person with a lot of motivation and integrity to accomplish any task. I am a peer educator because I think it is important for youth to be educated about health issues and to be given the resources they need to become healthy adults. I am an advocate for education and strongly believe that we can empower youth. I enjoy helping others and know that this program will help me gain the experience necessary to become a more productive counselor.

I am interested in teen pregnancy, drugs & alcohol, cultural obstacles, and the LGBTQ community. Although I have specific interests, I would like to widen my horizons and work with many different issues. I am an open minded person and I am willing to help those in need.

* Jackie is a former peer educator with MySistahs. The information above was from when she was a peer educator. It is no longer updated.

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