PLUS ME Youth Meet Congressman Gomez!

PLUS ME students posting with Congressman Jimmy Gomez (Center).

On December 18, 2021, twelve PLUS ME students met with U.S. Representative Jimmy Gomez to express their support for GEAR UP 4 LA – a key PLUS ME partner since 2014. We are always looking for new opportunities to amplify the voices of LA youth and were thrilled to organize this exclusive roundtable conversation. 

GEAR UP must regularly ask Congress for funding and these students did their part to advocate for this amazing organization. Our team worked with the students to prepare their stories of support. Each student had a chance to discuss how crucial the skills and encouragement they receive through GEAR UP have been in their academic journeys. 

Representative Gomez offered his own story of perseverance. Like many students present, the Congressman was raised in a low income neighborhood and did not have a straightforward career path. Starting as a retail cashier right out of high school, Gomez later attended Riverside Community College, graduated from UCLA, and finally earned his Master’s degree in public policy at Harvard University.

Nyslai Bolaños (far left) with fellow students and Congressman Jimmy Gomez (far right).

Nyslai Bolaños, a recent high school graduate and LISTEN 2021 ‘My Story Matters’ scholarship recipient, related to Jimmy Gomez’ experience. Nyslai went from the incredibly diverse neighborhood of Koreatown to being the only Latina in her entire dormitory floor at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. She talked about feeling alone, sad, and discouraged, and finding inspiration again thinking of her younger brother. Nyslai is setting an example for him and will be able to pass one the strategies she used to survive (and even thrive!) in these new, challenging environments. 

PLUS ME is so proud to be able to support students like Nyslai as they craft their voice into a powerful tool for uplifting community and creating new family legacies!