Aliento Features: Emely Saenz
Introduce yourself!
Hello! My name is Emely Saenz Gomez, I was born and raised in Mesa, Arizona and I am a graduating senior at Westwood High School. I enjoy spending quality time with my family and I also love playing my guitar and singing (basically anything that has to do with music).
How did you hear about the Aliento Fellowship, and why did you choose Aliento?
I first heard about the Aliento Fellowship when Deya and Jose came to visit Westwood High School to talk about the work that Aliento does. I remember being confused because they were throwing all different kinds of terms and information (I was a sophomore at the time) but I was amazed. I was heavily involved with community service since the beginning of my high school career, but I always knew that I wanted to be a part of something bigger and help my immigrant community especially since I came from a mixed-status family. I also had some friends who were involved in Aliento and they encouraged me to partake in their events as well. I waited until my senior year to apply to the fellowship and thankfully I was accepted. I chose Aliento because I fell in love with their mission and their people and I do not regret a thing.
What are some of the things you’ve learned as a fellow? Why was it important?
I have learned the importance of outreach and event planning. Outreach is a key aspect to the outcome because that will determine how many people actually hear about or attend your event. Another important thing that I have learned as a fellow has been to step out of my comfort zone. I was very timid and introverted but because of this fellowship, I gained more confidence and leadership skills that will help me later on in my life. Having a strong and supportive community has really helped me a lot with getting out of my comfort zone.
What are some moments within the fellowship that you are most proud of?
I am super proud of having been able to put in multiple hours during the Aliento Votes Campaign. Since I was not able to vote at the time due to my age, I made it my task to be heavily involved and try to attend all of the meetings and campaign events. I was able to attend the online phone bankings where we engaged, educated, and mobilized young and LatinX voters in Arizona. I remember I was so scared and anxious the first couple of times when I had to make the calls but having everyone on the zoom call and listening to music made everything so much better. On the day of the election, I attended classes as normal but once the school day ended, I headed to the Aliento Office because I was going to serve as a poll-watcher for different sites. I am very pleased with my participation during the timespan of this campaign and also pleased with the outcome of our work.
I am also very proud of the assembly “Educating the Future: Opening doors to a higher education.” I organized and planned. I did have a team of students from the LatinX Club at Westwood help me with carrying out the event and working on the information that would be presented. The aim of the event was to raise awareness on the importance of education and obstacles students of different immigration statuses face when trying to obtain a higher education. The event ended up having close to 300 students attend which was very good since it was the first ever Live Webex Assembly.
Another moment that I am proud of is when I got to speak with Dr. Andi Fourlis who is the Superintendent of Mesa Public Schools; the largest school district in Arizona. I was able to speak on behalf of my experience as a student in the MPS District and also give some advice for future students. I would have never imagined that I would’ve gotten the opportunity to speak with someone who holds a large amount of authority in the schools I grew up in. I got to share my story and concerns in hopes of providing an even better environment for the students who still reside in the MPS District.
Besides Aliento, what else were you involved with at school? What did you do?
I was in the following clubs at school; National Honors Society, IB Mentors, Warrior Council, Link Crew, Interpreters Club, and LatinX Club. My two all time favorites were Interpreters Club which was a club that served as a service to schools who needed translators for any event. Our main goal was to eliminate language barriers for the immigrant community. Second, was LatinX Club which is the club known for organizing and hosting the DACA Assembly and the LatinX Dance. I am proud and happy to say that I served as the club Co-President for these two clubs.
Would you recommend the fellowship? Why?
I would definitely recommend the fellowship! The fellowship has really helped me develop my leadership skills and has helped me find more confidence in myself. From the 1:1 meetings with our supervisors to the monthly fellowship meetings, we were given support and encouragement while trying to work through the campaigns the fellowship provided. This experience also provided me with a great group of determined and amazing people. Although we didn’t get to have many in-person meetings because of the pandemic, we made the best of our circumstances and still made bonds and connections. Through the fellowship I found a beautiful community that gave me hope and helped me become resilient and empowered.
Aliento Fellows meeting each other in person for the first time.
What’s next for you?
I will be graduating from Westwood High School and will be moving on to attend Arizona State University. Go Sun Devils! I will be majoring in Criminology and Criminal Justice. I am super excited for this new chapter in my life and super thankful and grateful for those who have been so supportive of me and my aspirations.
Emely 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?