Her Story
About Xenia
I moved to the U.S. as an immigrant about 20 years ago, and I remember the struggles my mother and I faced trying to understand the American system. I didn't know what health clinics were available, and I even thought we didn't go to school when it was raining because that's how it was in my country where I lived on a farm. My mom had to tell me that here, you go to school even if it's raining or snowing unless they tell you otherwise. I started my career as a special education teacher for adaptive curriculum, where I advocated for my students for 14 years. That experience led me into advocacy work about 5 years ago, and I've been in the nonprofit sector for about 3 years now. Currently, I work for a nonprofit where my role focuses on case management, helping parents and students stay connected with schools and lowering absenteeism rates. Many of the families I work with are new to this country and don't know the laws about school attendance or the resources available to them, such as homebound services or home teachers for students with medical issues. My job is to advocate and ensure that students and families have all the resources they need. Before joining my current organization as staff, I was an AmeriCorps member for 2 and a half years working in youth programs with Edu Futuro, helping students achieve their goals to go to college. This was important to me because when I finished high school, college wasn't my goal - I just needed to work and help my family. When college did become my goal, I didn't know about scholarships, FAFSA, or any financial help available. I wanted to show other students, especially in my Latino community, that these resources exist because so many feel they can't afford college. I saw the difference a degree made in my own life, from the jobs I could get to the paycheck I earned. I remember someone asking me why I wanted to go to college, and I said I wanted to have a diploma with a title and my name on it. As a teenager who left my country, my family, and my friends, I wanted something to say I made it, I did it.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Xenia
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to everything I went through, to every step I have taken, and to every failure that has happened to me. Most of the time when we think of failure, we think we just can't do it, but sometimes you get to a point in life where you have to say, okay, what am I doing wrong that I can't make it? That's what I need to fix. A lot of my failures have taught me what I can do, how I can fix it to make it happen. Being able to ask for help, or figuring it out myself, or just putting in the little extra hard work have been the things that led me to where I wanted to be. It's also about understanding that it was something I wanted to be. There have been many times, even family members asking, but why are you doing that? Why are you getting your master's? You already have a good job. Why do you need more? Me being able to stand up for myself and say it's because it's something I want to do, I want to keep growing, not letting anybody stop me from getting where I want to be.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
To not be scared. I have learned along the way that sometimes we are scared to be in the nonprofit world because sometimes it can change out of nowhere, things can be taken out of nowhere. But to not be scared. I have realized that I've been able to put my scaredness, my fears away, and be able to say this is something that I find very interesting to me, this is something that I have a passion for, and I want to make that change because I wish I had somebody who would have helped me when I needed that change. So to not be scared of allowing us to feel that we want to make that change.
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