Denise: Step Up has been a part of my life way before I entered high school. I remember my older sister wearing the iconic bright orange shirt while I was in elementary school and then wearing the hand me down shirt when I was in High School. Seeing that my sister joined Step Up and loved it, I followed her footsteps upon entering Alliance Gertz Ressler HS..
Gladys: Joining Step Up has been one of the best decisions we have made! Step Up has given us academic and social emotional resources to navigate higher ed and the many ups and downs of high school. When we share the similarities of our experiences we both agree that we felt empowered by being surrounded by strong women role models and mentors. We’ve also never felt so comforted by knowing that we belonged to a network that had our back no matter what. They were there when we were struggling in AP Calculus, when we challenged ourselves by taking all of the AP and honors classes that were offered, and finally when we were awarded scholarships for college. Step Up became more than a club, it became an extended family. Through Step Up, we’re both proud to say we are 1st generation college students who attend (and attended) UC Berkeley! I studied Economics and Sociology and graduated in 2015 and Denise is currently at UC Berkeley studying Environmental Policy.
Denise: Step Up’s mentors have made a high impact on my life and are still very much involved till this day. In ninth grade, I learned how to be more confident and challenge myself. In tenth grade, I learned how to accept failure. In 11th grade, I learned more about the UC system and started brainstorming essay topics. In 12th grade, I got exposed to different types of careers and I’m prepared to transition into adulthood. Step Up has offered me so many different resources and opportunities ranging from college tours, exposure to different careers, field trips to meet empowered women, and internships. Step Up allowed me the space to grow as a young women ready to pursue higher education at UC Berkeley.
We would love your support to keep the impact going and invest in the future of girls in Los Angeles by making a donation https://www.suwn.org/donate to Step Up this back to school season. Our long-time supporters at the Plum Spring Foundation have made a $25,000 gift to kick off our back to school campaign and will match every donation, dollar-for-dollar, up to an additional $25,000.
