Class Speaker (Speech), 2017.
Introduction: (1:27:00)“Good evening. It is my pleasure to introduce the student speaker for the class of 2016, Miss Athena Garcia-Gunn. Athena Madison Garcia-Gunn is a passionate foster youth advocate, public speaker, published author, artist, and a dedicated full time student. During the summer of 2013, Athena was chosen as one of 6 teens from a nationwide pool of applicants to be a part of a congressional coalition on adoption institute's congressional foster youth internship program where Athena interned in Washington D.C. with congress member Karen Bass and worked on foster care policy and structure. While in D.C., Athena developed a policy recommendation titled the Right to a Forever Family to seek alternative foster adoptive placements for youth to find permanent families, which she later presented in a congressional briefing. Athena returned to continue her degree at Pasadena City College and has focused primarily on school to finish her political science and behavioral and social sciences degrees. As a former foster youth herself, Athena proactively works to improve the foster care system on a local, state and federal level. Athena is a newly appointed board member at Santa Anita Family Services in Arcadia, has been an expert consultant on various foster care issues for the Children's Bureau, and the Capacity Building Center for the state.
Graduates and guests, Miss Athena Garcia-Gunn.”
Athena Garcia-Gunn (1:29:08): “Good evening, fellow graduates, friends, family and faculty. There is a general stigma in society that can undermine a community college student. But I have felt, when I introduce myself and regurgitate my resume, as is common in socializing and small talk, whatever the circumstances, whether you are a veteran returning to school, or trying to speed up your degree because you feel you are running out of time, or you are a busy mother, or have battled the obstacles of a disability, or you are a homeless student just itching to succeed, the tenacity and grit of the community college student is often overlooked. Introducing yourself
as a community college student is almost like a drawback because we prize universities like USC and UCLA. But it is not until we apply to transfer, that in those transfer applications,
where we must articulate our character, that we then realize the people we have become.
We then understand how being a community college student actually changed a bit of who we are. In my particular background, when I emancipated from the foster care system, I risked becoming homeless like many foster youth do. The statistics against foster youth are grim.
Less than 3% will achieve a college degree, while 1 in 3 will be prisoners one day. By prioritizing my education, I defied these statistics to spite past experiences. As a young girl raised by immigrant parents, my education was considered optional while meeting our basic
needs was a daily priority. As the eldest child, I was more concerned in raising my siblings
and fighting to ensure a better life for all of us, rather than focusing on my education.
I remember that at 13 years old, I'd beg for food and supplies at shelters and go to shelters, to neighbors’ doors, exchanging work for food, while constantly watching my back from rapists and predators. I sacrificed a lot to have a fighting chance, but I had hope. I didn't dream of success, I didn't know what that looked like. I dreamed of opportunity. After putting my siblings and myself into care, meeting our basic needs was no longer the priority, no longer a concern, and I was able to focus on school. When I was being bounced around from home to home, PCC became a home to me. I knew I could always come to campus and find a mentor. I leaned on my academics emotionally. I buried myself in work, and I loved it. My professor's taught me content I had never heard of, and made me fall in love with philosophy, biology, English and math. And as I was basking in the beauty of such philosophers and writers, I was crafting myself, my passions, and I was becoming more disciplined, inserting my point in conversation, and in writing stellar essays. I had no idea that I was capable of discovering myself through academics.
My professors saw beyond the stigma of community college students and gave students, like myself, a chance to learn quality material that some would argue was far beyond what a community college student could digest. Yet through the content I delve into, the insight of such thinkers taught me lessons that made me feel wiser and hungry for more. The time I spent at PCC allowed me to have a deeper understanding of my passions and of who I am, and what I can do for this world. With sheer drive and a bit of risk taking, at 19 I earned a congressional internship in Washington D.C., where I published a policy recommendation to improve the lives of foster youth. Today I am 22 and a board member for Santa Anita Family Services, and I am an expert consultant for the Children's Bureau out of Washington D.C. And some time in my future, I plan to be a lawyer with a friend who is graduating with me today. If it weren't for my professors who challenged my beliefs, who pushed my boundaries and expanded my way of looking at the world, I wouldn't be the person I am today, nor would I be standing here this very moment. Maggie Kuhn's Speak Even if Your Voice Shakes reminds me that people commonly forget the power of their voice, of advocating for oneself and of advocating for others. And although mine always shook, I refused to give up. I am just one voice in an ocean of stories. My learning experiences reveal that passion cannot be taught. Motivation isn't taught. It is inspired. And although it is difficult to overcome our pasts, our burdens, our losses, and overcoming those are growing pains in themselves, graduating today is the milestone of our resilience, our character, and now our determination to not only survive, but to succeed. No matter what path you choose to take on after today, you can officially say you are a college graduate. The ritual of walking across this stage cements all of your time and hard work.
Thank you.”
Screenshot capture from Pasadena City College’s Youtube video of my commencement speech, 2016.
