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I am Frida, an 11th grader at Anaheim High School and my school’s first Community Schools Liaison for the Associated Student Body (ASB). I consider myself to be a very active person on and off campus, as I dedicate my time to various leadership and advocacy positions. Currently, I am one of the Southern Coast representatives on the Statewide Student Advisory (SSA) board and a youth representative for the Orange County Congregation Community Organization (OCCCO). Furthermore, I participate in extracurricular activities such as marching band, swim, water polo, and academic clubs. I have been a band member for three years, two of which were spent in the wind ensemble and jazz band, where I played lead tenor and now play second alto. I am also the equipment manager during both marching and concert band seasons. In athletics, I have been on the swim team for 3 years and the water polo team for one year. In academics, I am a member of the California Scholarship Federation (CSF), National Honor Society (NHS), Project S.A.Y. (Support Anaheim’s Youth), and the Community Service Director of the Law and Logic Club. I am also a member of the Dual Language Academy (DLA) at my school site and a Simon Scholar. These have allowed me to develop teamwork, discipline, and toughness.

Since I was around seven years old, I have been very engaged in my community, whether helping with local city politics, canvassing door-to-door, or doing community service. My mother has always been the driving force behind introducing me to community work at a young age. She has always been heavily involved, coordinating various community events and setting an example. She was diligent in teaching me the value of community and why we do what we do—not for ourselves, but for the collective good of those around us. My mom’s passion and dedication to advocacy have been embedded into my core values as I strive to fight for change and advocate for inclusivity in the community.

My passion for Community Schools work stems from my background and the life experiences I gained in a community where resources were needed but difficult to find. I have a deep connection to Community Schools because I know how it is to feel “not wanted” or “not included” in places such as schools, where students should feel safe and supported. As students, we should have a voice, therefore advocating for Community Schools is something I strongly value. Leadership and activism are huge passions of mine because I truly believe that change and innovation are essential in an ever-evolving world. We need to ensure students, the youth, are actively involved in these conversations. Even though we may not have the same amount of life experience as grown-ups, we have a distinct, more down-to-earth perspective—especially regarding the school environment. By including students in decision-making, we can create a more inclusive and effective education system. Through these experiences, I have gained the ability to be even more open-minded and empathetic. I have learned to walk in anyone’s shoes with ease and understand other people’s perspectives, even if I disagree with them. Being open-minded and more willing to take risks has made me eager to embrace new decisions and opportunities, rather than feeling reserved or scared. This work has given me a sense of bravery and confidence in advocating for change.

I arrived at this opportunity to be my school’s first ASB Community Schools Liaison, because initially, I had applied and interviewed for the position of Student Ambassador to represent my school at a district level. While I did not get that position, the faculty and staff that had done my first interview at my school site were impressed with how knowledgeable I was about community schools, the logistics, and my experience with it, including SSA, OCCCO, and the R-TAC summits I’ve attended. After the interviews had been conducted, I was then offered the position of Community Schools Liaison in ASB. As my school’s first Community Schools Liaison, I hope to create a broader understanding of Community Schools and how they can be implemented effectively. This position is essential because it provides me with a platform to share knowledge and integrate Community Schools into the fabric of our campus. The most significant issue that I have come to realize is that although our school has many resources available, students don’t utilize them to their full potential because they aren’t aware of them, despite the continuous addition of resources. My goal is to address this gap by ensuring that families and students understand what they have at their disposal and how to access them effectively, as well as opening this up as an opportunity for feedback from our families. I hope to make the families and students in my community feel safe and provide them with the tools and resources that they need. With this new position, I want to create spaces where students can speak up for their peers and discuss how we can make our schools more resourceful and inclusive. Together, we can work to build a more united, more resilient school community.

More Good News

Don’t miss the opportunity to join us at annual Community Schools Summit to hear directly from our student leaders! [Register here.]

Students can register for free, families/parents receive a discounted rate, and community-based organization staff can contact us for a discount code. This year’s summit will be held in Fresno, bringing together over 3,000 attendees from across California—including students, families, community-based organizations, researchers, advocates, school and district teams, and county education leaders.

REGISTER for the Empower Community Schools Summit HERE!

To learn more about how to transform your school into a community school: CA PFL Community Schools Toolkit