Class Captain Spotlight – Silvia Espinoza

We would like to take a moment and highlight one our class captains, Silvia Espinoza. Silvia is currently a class captain and mija, for our Class of 2025. We are so grateful to have Silvia not only walk alongside our hijas, but create incredible experiences that will forever impact the lives of our girls and their families. Thank you Silvia for all that you do, and for being a part of our Circle de Luz Family!

What brought you to Circle de Luz? I wanted to be a part of a support system for young Latinas because we have so few roles models as it is. I had previously volunteered for a middle school (McClintock) and I realized I could have the biggest impact with this age group.

Why do you love being part of Circle de Luz?  
I love being a part of Circle de Luz because I can see the girls open up and share about their lives, or ask us class captains questions about the future. I think this is a special kind of mentorship that is hard to find even in a school setting, and I can see how the consistency of 6 years will really help them. I formed bonds with my teachers in middle school but unfortunately couldn’t have them my entire three years, and the same happened with lots of my friends. Circle de Luz is like a second family that sticks with you through the most formative years of your life, a time with so many questions and not enough answers. I’m glad to be a part of this second family for the girls!

Best memory so far and why?  My best memory with the girls so far is our Ronald McDonald house day, specifically during lunch. All of the girls opened up about scary things that happened in their homes, or in their family homes back in their countries. Everyone had scary stories to tell and we were all laughing (and a little spooked), it was the first time I saw everyone truly comfortable with each other. This led to conversations about traditional love of their respective countries, which led to talking about traditional dishes from Mexico, Honduras and Costa Rica, and who’s dishes were better. The best part was that the class captains weren’t the ones driving the conversation, the girls were! It was a great pizza lunch and nobody wanted to leave but we were on a time crunch 🙂 

If you want to learn more about becoming a Class Captain, mija or volunteer, please click on the “Get Involved” tab or email lorenapriego@circledeluz.org