The Power of Student Agency: Think Together Alumni Althea
It wasn’t easy juggling high school, college applications and advocating for diverse curriculum but that didn’t stop Althea from achieving endless possibilities.
Ever since Althea was a freshman in high school, she has shown a passion for public service and advocacy for quality education. She displayed this enthusiasm when she and a few classmates established a chapter for a nonprofit called Diversify Our Narrative. The nonprofit aims to “empower students as change makers” by promoting and integrating Black, Indigenous and authors of color within their school’s English curriculum.
Althea continued as a trailblazer serving her community when she pursued a summer internship with State Senator Susan Rubio’s office before starting her first fall college semester. She shared how her love for her community and public service blossomed when she was younger.
“A lot of my early childhood aspirations were very much focused on education or STEM, but it always revolved around public service. It wasn’t until Covid came around, that I became self-conscious and reached a point of self-actualization that I really started getting involved within my community,” Althea said. “My passion for people and my overall love of my community just grew exponentially.”
Althea’s devotion to her community pushed her to reach for the stars when it came to following a path to higher education. Being a first-generation college student, she faced many challenges, especially navigating college applications and filling out financial aid forms. She shared that Think Together’s support made the process easier for her.
“Coming from an underserved community with predominantly first-generation students and immigrants, it’s very hard to find those opportunities for us. The great thing about Think Together is that it really provides you with a community of support, resources and pathways,” Althea said. “I had help from some of my Think Together coordinators to build my resume, since I didn’t have any way to navigate that being first-generation.”
During her time as a Think Together student, Althea took to the stage at Think Together’s Raise a Hand philanthropy event where she celebrated our 2023 Champion of Change, Azusa Unified School District, for the support she received during her time as a student.
Althea shines bright at UC Berkeley where she is pursuing a degree in social and philosophical foundations of education.
Althea is an excellent example of Think Together students and alumni’s hard work and determination. It is an honor for Think Together to be a steppingstone for our alumni’s promising futures. We can’t wait to see what they do next!
Learn more about our amazing alumni and their stories as they pursue their goals and dreams.
