Aliento Features: Diana Quintana
Introduce yourself!
Hi, my name is Diana Quintana! I was born and raised in Phoenix, AZ. I’m a soon-to-be sophomore at Arizona State University, I enjoy painting, and going to coffee shops a lot!
How did you hear about the Aliento Fellowship, and why did you choose Aliento?
I had heard about Aliento through a previous fellow who reached out to my school club in search of individuals for Education Day 2.0. I think that’s when I first started getting involved and it was this sort of rabbit hole I ended up falling into.
Education Day 2.0 in 2019
The summer after my junior year of high school, I was a community organizing intern, and then in the spring of senior year, I was a team lead for that year's Education Day! I didn’t realize it at each of those moments, but I was the one who kept going back and getting involved, and that’s because I felt passionate about what I was advocating for. I loved what I was doing so when I had the fellowship application open, I was thinking to myself how each time, I had chosen Aliento and it fell upon me that I should choose Aliento, because like each time, I wouldn’t regret it. I chose Aliento without any regrets, I also got to stand for my family and loved ones.
“I transformed the definition of vulnerability into something more meaningful”
What are some of the things you’ve learned as a fellow? Why was it important?
I learned the meaning and importance of my own voice and leadership. I was taught to lead with bravery and resilience, while also getting to lead with my story and experiences. Whether it was meeting with senators or representatives, or interviewing with reporters, I transformed the definition of vulnerability into something more meaningful while being enlightened with knowledge on social policy. My background and story of being part of a mixed-status family used to only be a fear, but it is now also a reason to keep pushing forward for a brighter future.
What are some moments within the fellowship that you are most proud of?
Reflecting back upon the year, I think a moment I am most proud of is Election Day. Regardless of everything that had been against us, such as the pandemic, you had this visual of the collective effort that was being put into that day in all of the various roles. That was also one of the first times I got to be face to face with the other great people I had been working alongside for the entirety of the Aliento Votes campaign.
I stayed at the office until two in the morning as we watched the election live and that feeling is just unmatched and I think, the true cherry on top was when we got to celebrate our victory. Election Day and the day of the celebration weren’t just isolated moments in time I hold on to but they also captured all the phone calls and shifts that were put in the months beforehand.
Besides Aliento, what else were you involved with at school? What did you do?
Besides the Aliento Fellowship and the hub, I was deeply involved in my academics and have made the Dean’s List each semester, despite being only a freshman. I’m a nursing major with direct admission at Arizona State University, so I try to devote a good amount of time to making sure I meet the criteria so I can hopefully get into the nursing program approaching my junior year. I am currently a student member under the program TRIO and as the campus opens back up, I know I’ll find ways to get deeply involved.
How is ASU??
ASU has been great, but I know there’s still a lot I have yet to experience since it was primarily online. Though something I did get to be a part of was one of the Aliento hubs. I was Campus Ambassador for both semesters of the 20-21 academic year and we got a chance to network with other student organizations, the other hubs, and come up with a variety of events for our members. I’m already so excited for next year as we return in-person, where I’ll be working with the rest of the e-board as co-chair to bring a safe, lively community space.
Aliento at ASU
Would you recommend the fellowship? Why?
Oh my god, yes! I would recommend it to everyone I know and I wish it was an experience that I could have been in longer. I am so happy I got this opportunity, and these months go by faster than you could imagine. I met wonderful people and I was shown how to be a leader, and I know that at the end of it all, I am a better person who now stands with their head a little higher.
What’s next for you?
I will be moving onto my second year of undergrad, and continue completing my prerequisites as a nursing major! As we gradually return to in-person education, I will be working alongside other peers as co-chair for the Aliento Hub at my university. I am definitely looking forward to the events and chances we can brew up and the new position I’ll be taking on. Even though I will no longer be a fellow, I know I’ll still stick around for the journey and fight to ensure all Arizona high school graduates have access to in-state tuition.
Diana is part of the fellowship program here at Aliento! We provide leadership development, organizing trainings, and provide the tools for our fellows to become leaders in their communities. In order to sponsor a fellow, it takes $5,000. Consider donating to Aliento so we can fund our next cohort of young leaders in Arizona! Will you donate $10, $50, $100 now?