(Winter 2021) – “We are giving our community members a microphone to speak about who we are,” says SMART alumna, Cindy Dzib. “It’s really the community that keeps us going. They’re the ones applauding for us.”
As the first in her family to receive a college degree, Cindy graduated from the University of Southern California in 2015. Fascinated by the science behind communications and the study of culture, she pursued a degree in communications with a minor in communications design. After graduation, Cindy was a Fulbright Fellow in Brazil, and today, she is a communications professional at San Francisco’s Department of the Environment.
(Winter 2021) – “In my future career in medicine, I hope to teach and be an advocate for educational equality.”
Cecilia Zhou, SMART Class of 2015, just started her clinical rotations and is currently taking a deep dive into internal medicine. This SMART alumna is a second-year medical student at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine pursuing a career in surgery.
(February 2021) Over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect. Its worst health and economic effects have often impacted communities of color the hardest. Alongside the health pandemic, we have also witnessed with pain and concern the violence and racial inequities that continue to plague our society.
The “Stop AAPI Hate” coalition has documented nearly 3,000 acts of hate against Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) people in the U.S. from the outbreak of the pandemic through the end of 2020. Here in the Bay Area we have recently seen brutal attacks against Asian American and Pacific Islander individuals. Vicha Ratanapakdee, an 84-year-old Thai American, was murdered during a morning walk in his San Francisco neighborhood. A week later, a 91-year-old man was violently pushed to the ground in Oakland’s Chinatown, adding to dozens of unprovoked attacks in the area.
(Fall 2020) – When Aaliyah Perry joined SMART the summer after her 4th grade year, she was very nervous. “There were older kids around and I didn’t know anyone,” shared Aaliyah. Now reflecting back on her years at SMART, she sees a community that has supported her immensely throughout her education journey and is ready to take her own lead.
(Fall 2020) – Linda Huang is coming up on her final year at Pitzer College, where she is pursuing a degree in Asian-American Studies. A member of SMART’s class of 2017, she is nearing the end of her college experience, and reflecting on her time at SMART: “You never really leave SMART. It’s a community built on resources, relationships, and networks,” which remains critical to her every day.
(Fall 2020) – “SMART creates an environment that is safe and special,” reflects Miko Jones.
Miko was one of eight Summer Teachers who championed SMART’s first ever virtual summer program, SMART @ Home, for rising 5th and 6th graders to help prevent summer learning loss. Like many others, Miko’s first experience with remote teaching began with the closure of schools and the rapid transition into distance learning in early March. With newness, comes trial and obstacles—Miko was able to handle it!
(June 2020) Across the country, we are witnessing with pain and indignation the protests to combat the persisting violence and systemic racism towards the Black community. We condemn this persistent racial injustice in a clear and unequivocal voice.
George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Tony McDade. Ahmaud Arbery. Each a human being. A world that is lost. Eric Garner. Trayvon Martin. Tamir Rice. Stephon Clark. Alton Sterling. Philando Castile. Emmett Till. And so many, many more.
(Winter 2020) – “It’s really come full circle for me,” says SMART alumnus, Enrique Perez. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that students go on to do amazing things in their community once they leave SMART.” As the first generation in his family to attend college, Enrique graduated from college in 2018. He has since focused on supporting low-income students and students of color. Reflecting on how his career unfolded, Enrique begins with his family’s personal journey.
(Winter 2020) – Ta’Jae Brown remembers her early middle school years as a triangulation consisting of her home in Bayview, The San Francisco School, and SMART’s offices in Civic Center – all quite far away to her current life nearly 3,000 miles across the country. She is now completing her final semester at Howard University and her internship with the D.C. Superior Court’s Child Guidance Clinic.
(Winter 2020) – Hector Castro Noguez Jr. wants to work for NASA one day. “I want to be an engineer or scientist there after college.”
The SMART senior Scholar is already working towards his dream. Hector recently received the highly competitive four-year Posse scholarship to attend Boston University next fall. He is one of just thirty Bay Area students to receive the scholarship.
