I am a first-gen Latina — a straight-up trailblazer.

Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles County, I was the first in my family to leave the nest and head off to a four-year university. When I got accepted to UC Berkeley, it was a moment of pride I still carry in my bones. I still get chills thinking about it. UC San Diego was supposed to be “the one” — it was closer, it felt safer to my mom. But thanks to a high school history teacher who cared enough to sit with her and explain why Cal mattered, I landed in Berkeley, 353 miles from home, navigating a giant institution that often felt overwhelming.

The pressure was real. As the youngest, with siblings 11 and 7 years older, I was breaking new ground. My immigrant parents’ work ethic was deeply ingrained in me, but so were the expectations — become a doctor, lawyer, or someone who would help lift up the family, get us out of poverty.

I graduated in 2012, just as the job market was struggling, and when a BA no longer guaranteed a living wage. I hustled hard, applying for jobs people said were “out of my league” because, well, I was supposed to ‘pay my dues’.

Here’s the thing: I master things quickly. I was hungry to grow, to improve, to rise. By 25, I’d already decided I wanted to be a COO and set my sights on developing the skills to get there.

But alongside that ambition, there was loneliness — and a longing for guidance.

Mentorship has been underutilized in my life, and I know I’m not alone in that.

First-gens often don’t have a roadmap. I didn’t have mentors or professors I stayed in touch with. I had family pressure, cultural expectations, and my own introversion, neurodivergence, and high sensitivity to navigate—mostly by myself. Networking felt exhausting, and small talk drained me. It wasn’t until my late 20s/early 30s that I began to embrace these parts of myself.

We hear all the time about the power of mentorship in professional spaces — but how often do we break it down through an underrepresented [first-gen, working-class, BIPOC] lens?

Let’s unpack some well-documented benefits of mentorship:

• Accelerated career growth and skill-building

• Expanded networks and access to opportunities

• Emotional support and validation

• Increased confidence, resilience, and well-being

• Reciprocal learning — mentors grow, too

  
  

Tips for finding mentors:

• Seek multiple mentors, not just one

• Look beyond formal hierarchies — peers and community leaders count

• Be clear about your needs and goals

• Offer value in return (reciprocal exchange matters!)

• Join networks, communities, and spaces that foster mentorship

  
  

Even with these tips, it’s still hard — especially when you don’t have proximity to power, when your circle is smaller, when you’re not plugged into dominant networks. My own circle? Few people have mentors — we’ve been figuring it out solo.

And that’s why I’m dreaming up something new.

Through Thriving Human, I’m envisioning a mentorship platform — a space of reciprocal exchange where we uplift each other in a world that often pits us against one another. A space where first-gens, BIPOC folks, LGBTQIA+ folks, neurodivergent people, and anyone shut out of traditional networks can come together — to mentor or be mentored.

As I move toward my mid-30s, I know I have wisdom to offer. I may not have kids to pass it on to, but I think of the youth, the young adults, the ones like me — and I want to be part of their support system.

So, I want to ask you:

Why "Don't Quit Your Daydream"? Because those visions you have for a more aligned life? They're not just fantasies—they're blueprints for liberation.

I write about the messy, beautiful journey of unlearning limiting narratives and building something new:

🌱 Breaking free from hustle culture and toxic workplace expectations

🌱 Embracing your uniqueness as a first-gen professional or underrepresented leader

🌱 Redefining success on your own terms (not the capitalist scorecard)

🌱 Creating sustainable joy in work that honors your full humanity

🌱 Building liberation-centered leadership that challenges broken systems