TGP is excited to continue our partnership with Urban Alliance. With the help of UA and sponsors, TGP has two incredible new interns working with our program team in 2022: Névaeh and Ana! These high school seniors will support TGP’s in-school health education programs, develop new professional skills, and put their leadership into practice with middle schoolers. We’re excited to welcome them onto our team and help you get to know them a little better with this blog post. We asked a few questions and here are their responses!
Welcome to the TGP Team! Tell us about yourself
Névaeh: I am Névaeh (Nuh-Vay) Alston. I attend Cesar Chavez Parkside High School. I’m interested in helping others find their happiness in life, and my future ambition since 7th grade has been to become a Marriage and Family Counselor. Since my family was torn apart when I was only in the 5th grade, I have used what I couldn’t have to make sure people keep their lives together for the sake of love.
Ana: My name is Ana Bonilla and I was born in El Salvador. I am a current student at E.L Haynes high school. I’m interested in studying medicine and joining the Air Force at some point in my life. My biggest ambition is to have enough money, so I can help my family economically.
Why did you decide to apply to be an Urban Alliance intern?
Névaeh: I decided to apply to Urban Alliance because I was looking for an internship and other places just weren’t working for me. I wasn’t close to finding any good ones, but I was recommended by my best friend to sign up here (TGP) and ever since I’ve loved it! It gives me something to do, everyone is open to listening, and I found more people like me than I could imagine (outside of school).
Ana: Before I applied to Urban Alliance, I was participating in a program called Martha´s tables. They told us all about Urban Alliance and how I could gain work experience in this program. Hearing this interested me because I’m about to get out of high school and this is a good way to get work experience.
What is exciting about working at Grassroots?
Névaeh: The people! Who I’ve gotten to meet so far are really nice and supportive and have welcomed me. I can feel that they want me here, and that the connections and similarities I have made with some are comforting.
Ana: The most exciting thing about working at the Grassroots program project is that I get to interact with athletes like me and share ideas about why it is important to stay in good health. Learning about this in this program excites me because I want to study medicine and help the community in a different way, but with the same purpose.
If you could visit anywhere in the world right now, where would it be?
Névaeh: If I could visit anywhere right now it would be Bora Bora. I want to see and feel the actual blue water and touch the pigs they let you touch right before you enter the beach. It just seems so relaxing, hardly no one there, just vibes.
Ana: If I could visit anywhere in the world right now it would be El Salvador, because there I have my great-grandmother who is about to be 90 years old.
Game Time! Pick this or that
Nutrition, mental health, or sexual health?
- Névaeh: Mental health
- Ana: Nutrition and mental health
Soccer or basketball?
- Névaeh: basketball
- Ana: Soccer
Ice cream or cake?
- Névaeh: ice cream
- Ana: Ice cream
Drawing or writing?
- Névaeh: (hard choice) writing
- Ana: Writing
Math or reading
- Névaeh: Reading
- Ana: Math
Instagram or TikTok?
- Névaeh: (hard choice!) TikTok
- Ana: TikTok
Metro or bus?
- Névaeh: Metro
- Ana: Metro
