Students and their families will have the opportunity to learn about the importance of prioritizing self-care during college, understand the various types of self-care, and hear from current college students on how they are taking care of themselves as they navigate college during a pandemic. Families will better understand how they can support their students’ mental wellness and help their students build healthy habits that will aid them in high school, college, and beyond.
My name is Fernanda Napoles, and my pronouns are she/her. I am a first-generation college student. Both of my parents immigrated to the United States from Mexico; this brought a huge language barrier for my parents when it came for them to get information about my education. Being first generation and having migrant parents has grown my passion for helping first gen students and their families grasp an understanding about higher education. I have worked as a Student Advisor for five years. I love to advocate for first gen students and their mental health. Most of my work has been with students in the East LA area. I am currently entering my second year of graduate school at CSULA. My go-to self-care when I feel overwhelmed with work or school is going for a walk. I walk around my neighborhood or walk at a local park, I keep my walks no more than 30 minutes. This gives me time to decompress and be away from my electronics.
Curtis L. Simpson III aka CJ loves basketball, performing, and giving back to his community. Curtis became an outspoken mental health advocate after sharing his own struggles with depression from the COVID-19 lockdown. Curtis is committed to sharing his truth to inspire other kids who might also be feeling alone and remind them there is someone out there who cares. He likes to help his black community which includes, helping the homeless, helping kids who are struggling with mental health and telling his story to inspire the world, and letting people know that they do have an outlet. CJ is also a part of various organizations such as 100 Black Men, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and The Boys And Girls Club of Venice. His self-care practice routine is talking to his therapist, Maya, weekly.
Catherine Gonzalez is the proud daughter of two immigrant parents and a current Senior at Bishop Conaty Our Lady of Loretto High School in Los Angeles, California. Prior to attending a Catholic High School, she attended Equitas Academy, a charter school. Catherine was a recipient of the Passport to Success Scholarship in the year 2020 and has been an active volunteer with Families In Schools ever since. She stayed volunteering for Families in Schools because of the welcoming environment and encouragement of parent and student involvement. Catherine’s career goal is to be a medical geneticist and to earn a degree from UCLA so that she can help low income communities access healthcare. For fun, Catherine loves to engage in conversations about theology, debate political resolutions, and be able to go on trail rides.
Hi there! My name is Melissa Guerra and I’m a first-year college student attending Cal Poly Pomona! I am also a small business owner and part time digital creator who will also be majoring in graphic design! My go-to self-care practice has to be journaling because journaling allows me to write down all my feelings, whether they are positive or negative. It also helps me to have a clear mind because sometimes I am thinking so many things that maybe don’t make sense at the time, I can always go back and dissect the issue to find a solution.
