Aliento Features: Reese Estrada
Hi, my name is Reese Estrada, and I’m a full-time comedian, life long fellow.
I’m a current first-year student at Phoenix College, studying vocal performance. Being raised in a family that highly valued music, I began performing at the age of six. As I’ve grown, so has my love for music, and with it, my desire to impact others in the way music has always impacted me. A professor once told me, “Music transcends bounds,” and I have carried those words with me ever since. Music is a universal language. It brings people together. It gives us a way to step outside of ourselves, beyond our burdens, fears, or whatever barriers we face, and just feel. If I can even for a moment offer someone peace or comfort through what I do, I’d consider that enough. That same desire to connect, uplift, and stand for something bigger than myself is what led me to Aliento. Whether it be through music or civic action, I believe in showing up for the causes and people you love.
Confession. I have no sense of the world around me. During my first two years of high school, I became familiar with Aliento because my siblings had attended events and had friends who were directly involved, but I never had much of an interest in getting involved myself. It wasn’t until my senior year of high school, when I met a new friend in my choir class, of all places, who had been selected as a fellow, that my curiosity grew. The universe has a funny way of putting us right where we’re supposed to be, because I spent the rest of that year asking her about upcoming events, going to Education Day (E-Day), and mini-E-days, just to get involved. For the first time, I was intrigued to learn more about Aliento’s work and mission. When the time came to apply for the fellowship, Asareli made sure I didn’t miss the deadline.
At this point, I was still scared of being a leader and advocate for something that felt so outside of my realm. Music has always been the area in which I felt the most confident in terms of taking initiative, being assertive, and being a leader. I never saw myself as someone capable of being someone outside of that or doing impactful work. The sense of community, love, and empowerment I felt from Aliento staff and the fellows at Education Day (E-Day) is the driving force that pushed me to finally apply. I felt proud when submitting my application because, for the first time, I realized that I had so much to say. Being at Aliento helped me realize that I am capable of so much more than the limitations I have placed on myself. Looking back, I'm so glad I followed my gut, even though I felt unsure of my own capabilities.
Regardless of the circumstances and challenges I have faced this year, I have proved to myself that I am capable of doing so much and pushing forward despite the setbacks. I have learned to push forward and have found confidence in seeing more, expecting more, and holding myself to those expectations.
Everything I’ve done in this fellowship has been for the people I love. Campaigning against Proposition 314 and processing the outcome of the election was most impactful to me because it reminded me why I chose this. I want to be a voice for those who are directly impacted, marginalized, and for those who are scared. My community is everything to me. My education is everything to me. I will continue to fight to make sure I can say that my loved ones do not have to fight to exist in this country.
There are so many moments I carry with me from this fellowship. The one I’m most proud of, however, would have to be the Aliento Votes campaign. This campaign was particularly special to me because I gained something much more meaningful. During my time canvassing, I had the privilege of meeting canvassers from out of state. I remember that particular day hadn't been a great one. It was one of those days when the weight of everything going on felt especially heavy. The exhaustion was catching up to me, and it felt like our efforts were in vain, when one of the women I had just met pointed to the sky and told me to look at the brightest light. “That is Venus,” she said. It felt like such a small gesture, but it stayed with me. To my surprise, a few days later, I received a text from her. She said, “No matter where we are on this planet, we share the sky, moon, planets, and stars. I’ll think of you whenever I see Venus.”
In that moment, I learned something really important that shifted my perspective on life. If you can make even one person feel seen, connected, a little less alone, that is everything. That is love in action, and that is the joy in the fight that we stand for. Connecting with others within Aliento was one of the greatest blessings of this fellowship. I’m grateful for this season of life because it pushed me outside of myself to fight for the people I love and the issues I believe in. When you are passionate enough about something, you can make a difference. Leaning on those around you is what creates a family.
I would describe this fellowship as more than just a program. It was a family. A group of people with so many differences and similarities, brought together by circumstance and a shared purpose. One to advocate for our immigrant communities and families. Throughout the election season, we were challenged to show up for one another in new and unexpected ways. While it would’ve been easier to let anxiety and fear take over, I felt so much strength in the adversity, and even more strength and hope in my fellow cohort members. Every cohort meeting was led with so many questions, but one in particular always stood out to me. “What more can we do?” I never saw it as pressure, but as passion. If there was one thing every person in that room had in common, it was a shared sense of curiosity and drive that made it possible to hold onto hope and a desire for better. To anyone thinking of applying for this fellowship, know that it will challenge you. It will push the way you think, force you to sit with uncertainty and discomfort, and make you confront the what-ifs. But it will also surround you with people who are deeply committed to the work and to each other. We faced a lot of setbacks, including outcomes we didn’t want. We had to pivot again and again, learning to rewire our thinking, but I believe it allowed us to understand each other better. This fellowship will teach you so much about the power of community and the importance of showing up, not just for your cause, but for your people.
I am currently a student at Phoenix College, but in the near future, I plan to continue my undergraduate degree at ASU and study vocal performance there. I’ve always had a deep-rooted love and passion for classical music, and I hope that my career someday takes me to study abroad and pursue opera in Europe. Sometimes, my own dreams scare me, but this past year, I’ve learned that no dream is too big. I’ve learned so much about being an advocate, having compassion, and not letting setbacks keep me from living my life. Because if you’re living in fear, are you really living at all?
