Alumni Spotlight: Lupe’s Oasis Journey

Lupe first heard about Oasis as a high school sophomore in the summer of 2015. She grew up in the U.S. and Mexico and was raised by her mom, grandmother and two aunts. Lupe currently lives in the Bay Area and identifies as a queer feminist Xicana. In her own words, she shares her Oasis story:

“I was going through a really rough time in my sophomore year of high school. My mom wanted me to join an extracurricular, and I found Oasis online. I was into creative writing and poetry, so when I read about the CREATE program, I saw that it was for young girls of color in high school and decided to join. My mom thought it was a great way to connect with people from your ethnicity and other ethnicities, and exchange different beliefs with other women of color.

I started with CREATE, and then I also enrolled in RISE and ENVISION. I loved all of the programs, but the one that stuck with me the most was RISE. I felt empowered when we participated in social justice protests against street harassment.

I also liked that they connected us with different local organizations like Huckleberry House. I remember annotating everything I learned in a notebook: ‘I can call this org if I need mental health support…’ or if my friends have an emergency they can go to a certain organization. It’s great to know which organizations there are to get support and how to refer people to them.

Oasis empowers the participants by exposing them to different perspectives, and it helps to break taboos. For example, not a lot of girls may be taught sex ed or have access to information at home or schools.

Oasis also gives an opportunity to advocate for yourself. In the group discussions we were given the opportunity to really express ourselves. Confidentiality was respected, and we were given the respect to not be judged. A lot of people aren’t able to connect to their teachers and educators, and it’s nice that you could go to Oasis and ask for help and get some direction from someone you admire.

After going through the programs, I stayed connected to the Oasis coordinators. It’s really nice that the sisterhood at Oasis goes beyond just your time in the programs.

I’m currently a Junior at Mills College majoring in Ethnic Studies with a concentration in Race, Sexuality and Intersectionality. I am the first in my family to attend college, and I know Oasis is part of the reason I’m here. When I look back at my time at Oasis, I see how important it was for me. It provided a safe space for young women and other vulnerable groups to support each other in their successes and challenges—a healing journey—and a safe space to discuss taboos forced in their cultures. It allowed us to critically analyze our society while building a personal connection so we can protect our communities’ needs and social movements.

One day I hope to become an educator, a community organizer, or a program coordinator. Witnessing the passion the coordinators at Oasis had, it inspires me to want to support young women just like they did. I would like to give girls the opportunity to learn about their rights and to find their voices by advocating for themselves and their communities.”