Library

Meet Mr. Carlos

I am originally from SoCal. I was born and raised in the South Central LA area of Watts. I have considered myself to be both introverted and extroverted in certain settings, environments, and spaces. From time to time I seek adventure and new experiences as I continue to soul search on my journey to find balance to becoming an educator. I realized working with youth was a passion I rather enjoyed when I began to mentor and grow alongside youth back in Watts. Furthermore, I came to realize how much of an impact BIPOC educators can make on youth who have faces like them, and share similar experiences and cultural wealth and knowledge. My hope is to continue to build, connect, and grow with youth in Oakland to be able to highlight their passions, their cultures, and their perspective on how they see the world.

What do you do at OAK?

I assist the school with cataloging and circulating books for our students to have access to learning materials and books they are interested in. I help maintain the sustainability of the current books as well introduce students to other resources they have access to in order to find suitable reading materials related to their interests. In addition, I support students with building with their school community and promoting a positive and safe culture around campus.

What do you enjoy about OAK?

What I enjoy most about OAK is how community shows up to be present for each other. How we came together and built this community after merging two schools together and developing a vision which keeps our families and youth at the center of what we do and can do for them. How we continue to acknowledge our ancestral roots in the work we do while also acknowledging how much this community has grown and continues to grow. Our bonds and our ongoing collaboration with each other makes this experience both a pleasure and a privilege.