"Hay que ponerselas pilas"
I am a true believer that sharing our stories deeply transforms us, changes the narrative of our community, and heals the world. The #Shareyourstory series is dedicated to highlighting diverse stories of Latinx individuals making a significant difference in their community. Learn more about Ricki's story below!
Work Title (s) : Crime Prevention & Community Outreach Specialist (City of Gresham) - Reynolds School Board Director
Favorite Quote: "Precision beats power, timing beats speed"
Who is Ricki? I am a first generation Mexican - American student whoseparents migrated from Michoacán Mexico. Ever since I remember, I was taught the importance of culture and family. I was born and raised in the neighborhood of Rockwood, in the city of Gresham Oregon. Growing up, resources were limited. Family time was cut slim, food was nothing luxurious, clothing came from dumpsters, and I never really knew and know what it was to have toys. Those issues didn't really face me, I had a clear understanding of my privilege. I would complain to my parents, why is it that I never had toys or the latest games? At age 6, my mom simply responded, "the biggest gift we have given you was being born in the United States." In my view, being born in the U.S. was both a curse and a blessing. In my opinion, opportunities are higher here than in Mexico, but the Mexico life is so much more stress free. I am always told to never forget my roots, and since the day I stepped into my 1st classroom, I knew that family and culture would never change. Now, as a 23 year old Latino male, my values have only gotten stronger. I have and will constantly work for a better living experience for all my people,whether it is in the non-profit or government sector
Did you attend college? If so, how did that impact your life? I had the great opportunity to attend Portland Community College and Warner Pacific College through a scholarship initiative known as Act Six. I was given a full need / full ride scholarship to attend two years of community college and two years in a private Christ Centered college. As a senior in Reynolds High School, my plan was to graduate on time and go straight to work. I gave Act Six a shot and was lucky to receive this scholarship. Act Six was the only scholarship that I applied for. After starting college my life took a positive turn. Not only was I getting my education paid for, but I was also able to meet amazing people, who to this day have played an amazing role on how I live my life. I had the great opportunity to get an internship with Multnomah County and was able to stay with them for an additional two years. As a junior at Warner Pacific, I was able to receive the right amount of training and resources to give back to my community of Rockwood. Towards the end of my internship year at Multnomah County, I was able to start and complete a two-futsal court project. This project was made possible thanks to the morale support of Warner along with many partnership which included the City of Gresham, The Portland Timbers, and Adidas. By my senior year of college, I was offered a full time job with the City of Gresham. Needless to say, my life took a complete different turn after accepting the receiving the Act Six Scholarship. Now, I am still working for the City of Gresham as a Crime Prevention and Community Outreach Specialist. I also recently got elected to serve in the Board of the Reynolds School District. By the end of this summer, the two-futsal court project that started two years ago will soon turn into 7 futsal courts which are spread out through the City of Gresham and the City of Wood Village.
What has been the biggest challenge you have had to overcome? One of the biggest challenges that I recently had to overcome was the morale downhill of my mother being diagnosedwith Ovarian Cancer. In April of 2016, my mother began to havebreathing issues. After a week of going back in forth to appointments, we finally got her to the right specialist. After four days of being fully checked and tested, we got the unfortunate news that she had been diagnosedwith Stage 4 Ovarian Cancer. My mom, nor my sister fully understood what was going on. I requested the nurses to not fully share all the details with them. I was receiving all the big hits from what it meant to have cancer to all the risks and procedures that needed to be done. It was not an easy time, but as the man of the house I had to remain strong and physically appear calm. I missed 3 weeks of school, did not go to work, and did not want to talk to anyone. All I wanted was to be close to my family knowing that things could end up getting worse. With finals approaching and graduation getting close, I had to make the sacrificeto leave my family for a bit in order to finish school. With the help of my friends, mentors, and faith, I was able to get into the right mindset. All I really needed was company, and that is what I got. I was able to fully recover and began to bring smiles to the faces of my mother and my sister. To this day, my mother entered remission and is being closely monitored. People ask us, how do we deal with this disease? We simply respond, "with humor and good Mexican food".
What is the one thing you are working on daily? I am constantly working on making myself more available to people. Regardless of my work or my accomplishments, I always want people to know that I am no different. I still remain living in the neighborhood that I was raised in, and have no plans of leaving anytime soon. I want all of those kids who live in Rockwood to know that everything is possible if we put our heart into what matters. There were countlessof times that I was told the opposite of what I am now, and thanks to that, I am where I am today. If making myselfaccessibleisn'tenough, I just hope that I can serve as a role model for any inspiring young kids who have dreams of being a professionalof some sort. Like my mothersays "Hay que ponerselas pilas"
One piece of advice you wish someone would have given you during college or professional career? An advice that I got a little too late but still was able to use it, "fully take advantage of the college environment". Networking and relationships are just waiting to be made. Depending on the college or university, one can be surrounded with hundreds of other aspiring professionals who can hook one up with pretty much anything. That can include an answer to a simple question, a job, a partnership, and the list goes on and on. One piece of advice I will give to anyone is to fully use your charm and meet as many people as possible. Through relationship building and community involvement, I was able to land a full time job one year before graduating college. It's not only what you know, it also who know!
What is your favorite kind of coffee? I LOVE CHAI TEA LATTE! Especially from Stomping Grounds in Fairview or Park Place Café in Rockwood.
En Solidaridad,
Araceli
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LEADER IN YOUR COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTED ON THIS BLOG PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME.
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