“Volunteering with the Teen Center really made me realize how great I felt when I was doing something selfless.”
A little about me:
Age 26. I was born in Miami, Florida – literally just born there. We moved to Sonoma when I was three days old. Both my parents were California parole officers, but are now retired.
In my free time, I enjoy volunteering, exercising, hiking and being with my friends, family and dog.
What I remember about Teen Services:
I participated in a girls’ group at Teen Services and spent many after school days there. I volunteered with programs at the Teen Center and worked at the No Name Café.
My best memories are hanging out with the girls cooking dinner, singing along in the van to our favorite songs, and camping. I liked that it was somewhere for me to go vs. being at home alone while my dad was at work. I also liked that it was social and got me involved in volunteering and doing things I would not normally do.
What I gained from Teen Services:
While working there, I learned office organizational skills, cooking, and cleaning. But I was living with just my dad through middle and high schools, so I also learned that being in a group was fun. I had friends and people by my side all the time. I had a little community of girls and people that enjoyed doing what I did, and we enjoyed spending time together.
Teen services instilled confidence in me. I learned to work in a group, and I had projects and productive things to do. Teen Services gave me my first job and working at the No Name Café gave me many skills – especially the customer service skills that I still use daily.
Where I am now and where I’m going:
I currently own two salons in Sonoma: Peace N Beauty Salon – a full service hair salon, where I work behind the chair four days a week and manage ownership responsibilities – and Crush Beauty Bar, which is a salon offering styling, waxing and nail services. I have eight employees.
This was a lifetime goal of mine – to do hair and own a salon. I never imagined owning two. My hope is to grow my second salon, Crush, and purchase a home in Sonoma.
What are you proudest of?
I am most proud of my desire to give back. I do not think it is something that can be taught later in life. I think it is important to teach kids and teens the importance of giving back and how great you feel about yourself when you help someone, simply to help them. My whole life both of my parents have always volunteered for different causes, and I think that and my volunteering with the Teen Center really made me realize how great I felt when I was doing something selfless.