AIRIN AND ABIGAIL: Mariposas in Action and The Period Poverty Project
Release Date: 07/28/2020
SEVDORA: The Power of Integrity.
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“YOU HAVE TO VALUE INTEGRITY. IT’S LIKE DOING THE RIGHT THING WHEN NO ONE IS LOOKING.” Get your tissues ready! Meet Sevdora, a young woman from Uzbekistan. When she was almost 5 years old, her mom moved to America to achieve the “American Dream” and ultimately to establish a life that would allow her to one day bring Sevdora legally. It took 7 years and it didn't take long for Sevdora to become fluent in English and excel academically, overcoming many obstacles along the way.
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For the Season 2 Launch, Harley Frankel, Founder of College Match Los Angeles shares his powerful story and his inspiration behind the program has changed thousands of students’ lives.
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“SCHOOL HAS REALLY ELEVATED WHO I AM.” Meet Eddy. When he entered high school, he was told that he was not placed in AP or Honors courses because when he was younger, he did not “test” into gifted classes. He dedicated his high school career to changing that. Since then, he has passed 11 College Classes, earned a 4.0 GPA, and plays Varsity Football. He’s most proud of starting the Business Club that teaches his peers financial planning. His self advocacy as a young male of color will surely inspir
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*ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT* - ESMERALDA: Yale Class of 2020 and Chemical Engineer
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“MY DREAM IS TO WORK AT BOEING AND GIVE BACK TO MY COMMUNITY THROUGH MY JOB.” Meet Esmeralda, one incredibly resilient young woman who was the only Latina Chemical Engineer in her graduating class at Yale University. She was also one of a few women in the program altogether. She shares her college application story and the factors that made her choose Yale from the many other colleges she was accepted to including 6 other Ivy League colleges. She has one powerful experience to share.
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AIRIN AND ABIGAIL: Mariposas in Action and The Period Poverty Project
The College Match Podcast
“DREAMS AND ACTION MUST BE WOVEN TOGETHER.” Meet Airin and Abby, two young leaders in Los Angeles who apart, have their own unique talents and interests, but together, are a powerful duo that radiates with hope and positivity. They have joined forces during high school to create two impactful programs called Mariposas in Action and The Period Poverty Project.
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BLANCA: Lessons From a Young Entrepreneur and The Student Wellness Campaign
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“WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER.” Meet Blanca, a young entrepreneur from Lawndale California. Blanca is determined to be the best first in her family to attend college where she plans on exploring majors in either psychology or biology (with the hopes of a pre-med track). Blanca truly believes in the power of voice and her core values are centered around wellness, mindfulness and writing. There is no doubt she will make a lasting impact on her college next year!
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REYNA: Environmental Activism, Social Justice and Her Self Love Page
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“I AM MADE OF ALL THINGS THIS WORLD COULDN’T TAKE FROM ME.” Meet Reyna, a young environmental activist from South Central LA. She is determined to find a college that matches her passion for environmental sustainability and spreading self love. In her words, “When you’re experiencing sad moments, it’s ok to feel them. But it’s also important to leave space for that happiness.” This episode will surely leave you inspired to practice more self love and kindness.
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OSCAR: Hydrogen Powered Cars and the COVID-19 Relief Project
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“I WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD AS IT IS TODAY.” Meet Oscar, a change-maker inside the classroom and internationally! He’ll be applying to college next year and is determined to be the first in his family to earn a college degree. He's an inventor, world champion and started a COVID-19 Relief Project at his school! This episode will surely leave you feeling inspired and empowered to learn more about the future of Hydrogen Powered Cars!
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College Match Podcast Introduction
The College Match Podcast
Join me, Andrea Cova, one of the Counselors at College Match, on this journey as I conduct powerful interviews with some of LAs young future leaders, working towards positive change inside and outside of the classroom. You'll hear stories about impactful projects through innovation, student collaboration and advocacy. www.collegematchla.org
info_outline“DREAMS AND ACTION MUST BE WOVEN TOGETHER”
Meet Airin and Abby, two young leaders in Los Angeles who apart, have their own unique talents and interests, but together, are a powerful duo that radiates with hope and positivity. They have joined forces during high school to create two impactful programs called Mariposas in Action and The Period Poverty Project.
Mariposas in Action is a student led, support group for rising first generation college students. Their motto is “For Youth By Youth” and was started to spread the word about college access and success for students who do not have access to resources in their community. Using what they learn from College Match and other college access programs they are part of, they then bring that information to their peers. Very much a “Pay It Forward” mentality! Follow them @mariposasinaction to learn more!
The Period Poverty Project is a collective effort to spread awareness about Assembly Bill 10 and the fundamental rights young women have to easily access feminine hygiene products at their high school. Together, Abby and Airin fought to get dispensers installed in at least 50% of the restrooms on their high school campus and are now creating a toolkit for other high school students to do the same. Additionally, they have brought their efforts to the streets by creating care packages for the homeless and more vulnerable populations who do not have easy access to feminine hygiene products. To learn more about this effort, follow them on Instagram @periodprojectla and check out the website they created at bit.ly/periodpovertyla.
You can also help them spread joy to the community by donating to their GoFundMe Page at https://www.gofundme.com/f/2a33x-period-poverty?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link-tip&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet
They are both very unique individuals outside of the classroom!
Airin believes in the power of storytelling and is very close to her Mexican roots. She aspires to study politics and public health and wants nothing more than to make her parents proud and pass on this powerful message to peers: “Si Se Puede/Yes You Can!”
Abby is very active in her church community and aspires to become a pediatrician one day. Her parents are from Guatemala and have passed on a strong sense of gratitude for all she’s been blessed with. In her words, “I possess the ability to become what I am destined to be.”
Both the first in their families to pursue a higher education, they will both surely make a lasting impact on their future college campuses next year.
**For a Video Version of Airin and Abby’s Podcast Interview, visit our College Match YouTube Page where you’ll be able to see pictures of them in action and much more. And if you’d like to learn more about College Match LA, visit www.collegematchla.org.