Aliento Features: Giselle Piña Gómez
“By the end, I was so much happier and confident.” This is what a good friend of mine said when explaining to me what the fellowship meant to her.
My name is Giselle Galilea Piña Gómez. I recently graduated from Mesa High School. I was the President of the Photo Club, an Officer, and a member of various clubs, including Aliento, Link Crew, DECA, FBLA, & STEP. I am the oldest of four. I tend to be quiet when I meet people for the first time. When I start feeling comfortable, I become more extroverted.
My journey with Aliento feels like it just happened yesterday. I attended a gingerbread competition hosted by the Aliento Club at Mesa High with my friends. We had a great time. I asked a member who was hosting this event, who then explained to me what the purpose of the event was. It was to “Help people destress before finals, and also create a safe space for our community regardless of immigration status.” From here, I felt inspired to also try and make a positive difference. Knowing the hardships of so many peers of mine due to their legal status is devastating. So, I joined the club and participated in all of what they do, which led to me joining the majority of the meetings and applying for the fellowship. Looking at things now, I am forever grateful to my past self for applying for this fellowship, truly one of the best decisions I made.
One of the main reasons I applied for the fellowship was that Aliento’s values aligned with mine, and the need to do more to support our community regardless of immigration status. For there to be a change in society, advocacy from both older and younger generations is necessary. Lived through stories of hardships from all generations continue to show there needs to be a change within our government. This fellowship gave me a better understanding, knowledge, and power of how to do that.
One of my favorite moments in the fellowship was realizing how much more confident I had become. At Education Day 2024, I was in a meeting with a representative. Even though I was the care lead, I felt immense anxiety—my hands were sweating, I stuttered when I spoke, and I was overwhelmed. But when I compare that to Education Day 2025, I led meetings with lawmakers without breaking a sweat, shaking their hands with ease. This fellowship has not only supported me in school but has also prepared me for the real world after graduation.
This fellowship truly shows you how young students can make a positive change in not only their lives but society as a whole. You can create, organize, and participate in events. Be pushed just enough to be out of your comfort zone & make lifelong friends and memories! If you want to increase your knowledge about the government, learn technical skills such as communication, teamwork, and overall become more confident while making a positive change within our community? Then this is the fellowship to apply to.
What’s next? I plan to attend Arizona State University to study to become a Preschool teacher. From there, I will move to Oregon to help my aunt with her daycare. My goal is to inspire as many kids as possible to explore the world of learning, art, and community while also inspiring my children if I come to have any.
