Spotted at: Eat Real Festival, Oakland, CA
Occupation: Student
That's an interesting way to spell your name!
I decided to put the accent on the "e" because it's the best way to show how it's pronounced in Spanish—plus it's like an accessory for my name.
So what do you do?
I'm currently a student. I also do college outreach, and I'm applying for a my transfer program in nuclear medicine.
What does nuclear medicine entail?
Nuclear medicine is an imaging mode—you've heard of MRIs, you've heard of x-rays; it's a way of looking at the body live. So we're looking at the body, how it's functioning, and then we can make that diagnosis.
What led you to that field?
I'm a youth worker. I've loved working with youth and I want to work in pediatric oncology. Nuclear medicine is a way, like I said, of diagnosing, so I want to be on the front end. I want to be able to support young people and their families and let them know that I'm an ally in that cancer journey.
It seems like you'll be very personable as well!
That's my intention. That's absolutely my intention. To be like, hey—you're a person! You're not just a tumor that we're trying to excise.
What are you up to today?
I work with Sugarfoot Grits, I'm one of the grits girls working the booth here at the Eat Real Festival.
How did you get involved with them?
I've been coming to Eat Real for five years. I'm about food justice movements—'cause I'm approaching the health field, but I also think the basis of how we build our bodies is through food and drink. I think good quality food is essential to making your body happy, making yourself happy, and making communities happy. I think Eat Real Festival has been one of the really fun festivals and supporters of Oakland that's just like, ahhh . . . [pleasurable sigh]. Super tasty and affordable, right? So you can sample a little bit of everything and not be like, oh no . . . I'm now sad and have no money in my wallet. I also volunteer at La Cocina, so yay food justice, yay sustainability, yay making small businesses powerful!
Are you originally from the Bay Area?
I was born in the Bronx but I'm a 16-year veteran of the Bay Area. I landed in Alameda first, and I've also lived in Fremont, Hayward, and Oakland.
What drew you to the Bay Area?
I fell in love on the Internet in 1996—we broke up 6 months after I moved out here but then I fell in love with the Bay. So, you know, a good trade-off.
What do you love the most about the Bay Area?
The inclusivity of all different kinds of communities. I'm used to diversity—my family is from Puerto Rico, so you know, I need diversity in my life. But what I love is that you really get to see the world interact. It's one thing to be part of a community and say there's that person, and there's that person. It's another to actually have the world interact in a meaningful way with each other; I've found that in the Bay and I really appreciate it.
Is there anything you miss from back home?
Pizza. Pizza's just a very different thing. The water is different, and so the dough is going to be different. And here, you can be very amazing with your palate and put like, roasted fennel and you know, drizzle it with truffle oil—which is FANTASTIC, but sometimes you just want a foldable slice of just homemade tomato sauce and cheese and that's it.
What's some good advice you've gotten lately?
Just to be open to opportunities you might not see. My opportunity might be behind me, and I might forget to look behind me. Kind of like on a plane—the closest exit might be behind you.
How do y
ou like to spend your free time?
I'm a big supporter of the arts, I'm a youth worker, I've done a lot of media arts, teaching filmmaking & writing, theater—I really enrich myself. I love the sciences and any kind of learning turns me on. Nerd Nite turns me on, I'm going to the Capacitor event tomorrow; it's basically science and dance.
What's the Capacitor?
The Capacitor is a dance troupe that incorporates science into its dance choreography, and tomorrow night they're going to have some of their vocalists wear some kind of sensor on their brain and basically that's going to help mix the music, and then the dancers are going to respond to that.
Now that we've found out a bit about you, I'm going to ask about what you're wearing today!
This is total work mode. Since I knew I was working in the kitchen today, I wanted to be comfortable. The Bjorn shoes, these work in the kitchen very well. These leggings are from Maggies from Whole Foods, the jean shorts I got at a clothing exchange, the t-shirt I bought from my boss this morning 'cause I apparently forgot to pack mine.
And the hat?
The hat I borrowed from my boss as well because I knew it was going to be sunny, and I also happened to forget to pack mine.
And the glasses are nice too! Where did those come from?
They've from Out of the Closet thrift. I mainly do thrift shopping, clothing exchanges—that's usually where I get my stuff.
And your hair's been locked—how long did that take?
Since 2012. It's still not fully locked, but yeah. And of course, because I'm working in the kitchen I had to pull it back with a very stylish hairnet.
