Aliento Features: Graciela Amavisca
My name is Graciela Amavisca, and I was born and raised in Arizona to a loud and caring family. When I'm not hiking, baking, or spending time with the people I love, I'm thinking about how to make this state a better place for all of us. Most harmful policies have not directly affected me. But I cannot say the same for the people I love. Hearing my grandfather's stories about being racially profiled, or hearing the fear in a friend's voice when they talk about the current political climate, lit something in me. I wanted to get educated and take action to become the change I want to see.
That's how I found Aliento.
A good friend of mine, a fellow from Cohort 7, first told me all about Aliento. I started showing up for phone-banking events opposing Prop 314. I was very curious, but still on the outside looking in. What pulled me closer was not a program or a pitch; it was the immediate feeling of being welcomed without judgment. I came in knowing very little. However, instead of being made to feel less than, I was met with open arms simply for wanting to learn how to better support my community. That meant everything to me.
When I applied for the Fellowship, I was in a weird in-between place in my life. I was unsure of my educational journey, but could still feel being drawn toward something bigger. Attending a mini Education Day changed that. After a disheartening interaction with a member of the House of Representatives, something clicked. I no longer wanted to sit on the sidelines anymore. I wanted to become the change I was looking for and keep having the hard conversations on behalf of people who couldn't always have them for themselves.
One of my proudest accomplishments as a Fellow has been starting a hub at Estrella Mountain Community College. I noticed that while Maricopa's community colleges are large, they can feel isolated, lacking the sense of community that students need. Getting the hub off the ground was not easy. There were setbacks, frustrating moments, and times I wanted to give up. But the perseverance I built through that process is something I'll carry forever.
And then there are the Fellow Park Days. These are my favorite Aliento memories, hands down. Volleyball matches with my ridiculously competitive cohort, laughing and bonding over something so silly and laid back. Those moments remind me that this work is also about joy and human connection.
To anyone thinking about applying: give it everything you have. And to the next cohort of Fellows, live in every moment. Lean on each other. It goes by faster than you think.
As for me, I'm finishing my associate's degree in law and policy this semester, heading to ASU in the fall, and setting my sights on law school after that. I want to fight harmful legislation and one day write bills that protect every Arizonan.
Aliento reminded me who I'm fighting for. I will never forget it.
