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Charlene Madeline Gomez
“Music is central to who I am and I try to involve myself with performing at every opportunity that presents itself.”
- Alumni of: 2009 Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship Program
- Resides: Alhambra, CA
- Hometown: East Los Angeles
- Age: 22
- Community College: East Los Angeles College
- Four-year College or University: University of California-Los Angeles
- Academic/Career Pursuits: Agriculture, Education / Academia, Languages, Liberal Arts, Nonprofits, Politics and Diplomacy, Public Policy, Public Services, Social Science / Anthropology
- Other Interests: Film / Photography, Foreign Languages / International Study, Honor Society, Languages, Leadership Development, Liberal Arts, Literature, Nonprofits, Outdoor / Mountaineering / Camping, Performing Arts / Theatre, Politics and Diplomacy, Public Policy, Public Services, Social Science / Anthropology, Volunteer Work, Writing / Journalism
Biography
PROFILE: It was when Los Angeles native Charlene Gomez was about to enter her junior year of high school that she experienced the “ah ha” moment, the minute when reality shook her very existence and the future came clearly into focus. It was at her future alma mater, UCLA, and a Migrant Student Leadership Institute for high school students of migrant parents. Of the 100 teenagers at the orientation, all the students were warned by the conference facilitator that only one might earn a doctorate, which is the percentage of Chicana and Chicano youth in America that make it that far in the education chain. They were also warned that roughly half (50) wouldn’t even graduate from high school, which is the current percentage of high school attrition for that particular ethnic group. Charlene, then a 15 year-old, said she was “flabbergasted” and realized at that moment in the auditorium at UCLA’s Westwood Campus that she would beat those odds. “Rather than intimidating me, I was motivated to work much harder. There were too many things at stake for me not to successfully attain a higher education.” She left that summer conference, continued to distinguish herself in high school and became an Honors student at East Los Angeles College (ELAC).
INSPIRATION: Charlene praised Carlos Tejeda and Shirin Vossoughi, “two phenomenal mentors who taught me the meaning of using the intellect to empower not only myself, but others.”
ASPIRATION: Charlene would like to attend graduate school and eventually teach Chicano/a studies.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Charlene said she is most proud of her leadership position with a social justice and educational advocacy group on the ELAC campus, “Students for Equal Rights.” She said that “knowing I am using my skills to contribute to a movement for justice that is bigger than myself is truly amazing.” Charlene said her involvement with the group “has shaped my drive to sync education with social justice and human rights.”
ACCOLADES: Charlene received the President’s Award for maintaining a 3.5 GPA or higher for all her semesters in junior college. She also was named a TELACU Education Foundation Scholar.
INTERESTING FACT: “I failed my driving test 3 times!”
Other Scholars Like Charlene
Jessica Dawkins
Graduate Scholar
Spalding University
Jad Costandi
Undergraduate Transfer Scholar
University of Washington
Tiffany Mathis
Undergraduate Transfer Scholar
University of Florida
Veselina Hristova
Undergraduate Transfer Scholar
Smith College