16-Year-Old Sabrina Cisneros is a Luchadora on the Rise in the Inland Empire

09Apr
by Leticia Chavez-Garcia

Sabrina Cisneros is only 16 years old, but her age has not stopped her from being an active and vocal part of her community. She is an unstoppable force. Sabrina lives in the high desert community of Phelan in San Bernardino County and attends Serrano High School in the Snowline Joint Unified School District (SJUSD). I don’t even think she realizes just how great her accomplishments to date are. She is a quiet, humble, and unassuming Gen Z force to be reckoned with. It is my pleasure to know this young lady and share her story.

Sabrina is a member of the SJUSD Board of Education serving in the capacity of Student Representative.  

And by the way, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Sabrina’s mom is a long time community activist and advocate who is currently running for State Assembly to represent the high desert communities. Sabrina has had plenty of experience and role modeling from her strong parents, who are heavily involved in politics and activism.

“I attended the women’s march in my area and although it was small in comparison to the others, it was refreshing and empowering to see people like myself who want change and want to shape the future for the better,” Sabrina said of her experience. She feels empowered and emboldened by her experiences and participation in civic engagement.

In one her most controversial moments on the Board of Education, Sabrina introduced the “Safe Haven Resolution” for adoption by the Board as a whole. It was a hot topic in local news and throughout the community. For context, the community of Phelan is still somewhat stuck in time and although the community now has a growing Latino community, it is, unfortunately, still heavily riddled with racism and bigotry. Though the resolution was originally postponed and did not enjoy support from the Board, Sabrina led in organizing efforts and was successful in re-introducing and passing the measure unanimously. The SAFE Resolution was adopted by many districts in California after the election of Donald Trump to help calm the fears of undocumented families in our schools. The California Department of Education declared schools in California as safe havens, but the resolution later adopted by districts individually added protections for all marginalized students including LBGTQ kids.

Sabrina the Organizer

“In a unanimous decision, the Snowline Joint Unified School District voted to approve the SAFE schools resolution brought to the board by student board member Sabrina Cisneros on 11/14/17 after a persistent string of actions on the part of student groups at Serrano High School. This resolution ensures that the district is on a path to protecting all students regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration status etc. Snowline has made a decision to come into compliance of the laws of the state of California and work to protect and defend all of their students. Snowline Joint Unified School District the community will be watching and will ensure ”that the promises put forth this evening come to fruition. Students at Serrano high school who took a stand, took direct action and refused to back down give me a great deal of hope for our future. I’ve said it for years now, the kids really are alright.” – Student at SJUSD

Sabrina is a multi-talented and multi-faceted dynamic young women with a bright future. She is the recipient of a fellowship to Oakland’s MLK Freedom Center Leadership Program where she attended “The Life and Legacy of Dr. King Program.”  Recently, she won first place in a local service club speech competition. She has said that she aspires to attend the University of California, Berkeley to study political science and wants to be a strong advocate for the voiceless.  Despite her busy schedule as a board member, an activist and an all around luchadora, Sabrina maintains a GPA of 3.8 and always puts academics before activism.

Sabrina the Speaker

 

Sabrina also currently serves as the President of California Association Student Council (CASC) for Region 11 (San Bernardino and Riverside county) 2018.  Needless to say we can expect amazing things from this bright desert star. Perhaps even this:

Sabrina, the Supreme Court Justice?  Maybe!

What do you think?

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Leticia Chavez-Garcia

Leticia Chavez-Garcia is a Mother, Grandmother, former Middle School Teacher, former Member of a School Board of Education and an Education Advocate for hundreds of parents and students in the Inland Empire. Having become a mother at 15, Leticia knows what it’s like to be a single mother trying to navigate the education system. Leticia received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science and Public Administration from California Baptist University and a Masters’ Degree in Education Technology from Cal State Fullerton in her 30’s. Leticia has used her knowledge and experience to help hundreds of families as an Education Advocate in the Inland Empire and currently works as an Education Specialist.

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