The story below is from Sheba Alvarado, who talks about her experiences as a student who carries multiple roles than just a student:
Sheba’s challenges as a low-income student involve juggling the struggles and pressures of trying to help support her household with rent and groceries. As much as she would love to spend more time prepping for the SAT or putting in extra effort into AP classes, she carries the thought of getting a job to alleviate financial stresses. Although she wants to help her family’s financial challenges she knows it's not the healthiest mindset for a young student. She understands that her situation isn’t fair compared to others who enjoy different privileges and live in different circumstances. Sheba has tried looking for jobs but her parents insist that she instead focuses on school. It was a difficult conversation for her but she settled on being more aware of spendings and saving money. Sheba believes that pressure shouldn’t have to be carried by low-income students, but she knows the silver lining in this situation is that she learned important lessons: growing up and valuing money and education in a more meaningful manner. She is glad, however, that her need for school supplies, resources, and advice are being met by her school counselors and teachers who are there for her. She believes that if the school faculty understood the realities students faced, the financial burden of theirs wouldn’t be as heavy. She also believes that students should know about their available resources and reach out to them instead of staying quiet and struggling on their own. In the future, Sheba hopes to find ways to help students that are walking the same path as her. She believes that having a role model one can relate to it’s an important beacon of inspiration for someone who’s struggling. Whether it be connecting to nearby schools or volunteering with a non-profit, she wants to use her resources and efforts to benefit the youth in the future.
Sheba hopes to share advice to others who may be going through a similar situation: “don’t hesitate to ask around and also be proactive with the help that’s available for you. If you need something, practice being assertive because with enough confidence and effort you may just get what you need. There are people out there who are able to help and it’s for you to take advantage of that and pass the blessings in the end. Your success can carry through somebody else’s in the long run.”
Sheba Queen Alvarado is a rising senior at Burton High School in San Francisco, California. She loves reading books, singing, and dancing in her spare time. She wants to finish college and hopefully work in counseling, focused on helping sexual abuse victims in dealing with trauma and emotional healing.
Written by Nancy Deng on 07/05/2020