As the oldest in a low-income family where resources mostly went to supporting my brother with special needs, the idea of college felt daunting. We lived in a doublewide trailer, and I worked in restaurants from age 16 on. When I transferred from Santa Rosa Junior College to UC Berkeley in 2020, I didn’t know how I’d pay for my education.
Though I still worked, 10,000 Degrees awarded me a scholarship that helped me finish college and pursue a journalism career.
After graduating in 2022, I reported on issues like homelessness, school violence and mobile home tenancy rights in Sonoma and Napa counties for KQED and the Napa Valley Register.
I was recently hired as a local government reporter in Sacramento for CapRadio, and I hope to shine a light on how city decisions affect vulnerable populations. I would not be here without the support of 10,000 Degrees.