Extra Blog Post: September

I finally found my mentor ... FINALLY. A potential one at least. Through the process, I originally tried  to contact Debra Martin, a Pomona Council Member because she's pushes importance on giving back to her community. The only problem is Council Members for the city of Pomona only work on Tuesdays & Thursdays. Another person I got in contact with was Katherine Berger. Ms. Berger is the volunteer coordinator for the city of Pomona and over sees all community events.  I have her as a potential mentor to possibly shadow her and see her job process. Though I sought to her as a mentor, she informed me about a organization called the, Teen Value Club. The Teen Value Club (or TVC) is a group of teenagers who work closely with City Staff in the development of volunteer opportunities and specialized projects for youth and teens. The teens in the TVC serve as mentors who promote education and support community non-profit needs and City response events through their volunteer efforts. Once Ms. Berger led me this direction, I instantly tried to join the TVC.  To join the club, you must go to the city police station and have a background check and have my fingerprints. After that long process of signed forms and basic information, I was able to go to La Casita Teen Center at Palomares Park in Pomona. The coordinator of the TVC is Alejandra Jimenez, who is a Cal Poly alumni and is a current student getting her Masters degree in Hospitality. For now, I am in the TVC Club and simply going to volunteer at the Teen Center with Alejandra. My first day was Monday September 29. Today was my second day, but tomorrow will be my first TVC meeting. There are only two meetings a month and I'm not sure what to expect. Other than that, I'm satisfied with finally not feeling complete lost. I'm on a path I'm okay with but I will probably still get in contact with Ms.Berger to see if she can give me anymore resources with other programs or herself to help me find the answer to my EQ which is: How do leaders/officials use their power to help the underprivileged youth in Pomona? The TVC club is one way I could answer my EQ because this club focuses on youth helping youth through government funded programs. The officials/leaders section of my EQ could refer to Ms.Berger and/or Ms.Martin. For now I'm taking baby steps to getting to the roots of my answer. 

Bus Ride

 La Casita Community  Center

Pomona City Hall

Walk Home

Blog 6 - Second Interview

Interviews

1 )  Who is your mentor and where do they work?

   My mentor is Alejandra. She is the coordinator of the Teen Value Club and is in charge of La Casita Teen Center in Palomares Park. The Teen Value Club (TVC) is a year-round volunteer program for teenagers ran by the City of Pomona. Teens will have the opportunity to gain community service hours while learning leadership skills, responsibility, and empowering their community. La Casita Teen Center is supported through the City of Pomona and located at 499 E. Arrow Highway at Palomares Park. La Casita provides a safe and supportive after-school program for teens Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 2:30-5:30pm; Wednesday 1-5pm and Friday 2:30-5pm. We provide help with homework, free activities including a pool table, air hockey, and sporting equipment. Any teen can come to La Casita and fill out a registration form to enjoy all of our amenities for free. 

2 ) What five questions will you ask your mentor?

1 ) Why did you decided to become the administrator for the TVC?

2 ) You are aware that for the past few years, the TVC isn't what city employees say it "used to be".

Do you plan on bringing the club back to its top-tier status or do you want  to completely     reinventing the club and take it to different territory?

3 ) What are your plans for the TVC? 

4 ) How do you plan on using the La Casita Center to assist the teens in this area?

5 ) Do you think this center is effective and is used to its full potential?

Blog 5 - Mentorship and Research Reflection

 Research

1. I have not been able to find a mentor. I know what my senior project should be about, but I'm not sure where to start and who to contact. 

2. I have not had a focal point on what exactly to research, but so far I believe is a 3 year case study of fiscal sustainability in the City of Los Angeles. It shows how ethnic concentration in neighborhoods lead to similar outcomes of a person's future for those who live within those neighborhoods.