Wave-Maker Spotlight: Ariadna Diaz
Over the past few months, we have been posting profiles on the amazing alumni that have come out of the Making Waves College and Alumni Program. These profiles are meant to both highlight our inspiring alumni and support young professionals in understanding their own career path. If you have questions for us or our alumni, please post them below.
Today, the spotlight is on a conversation that we had with Ariadna Diaz, an 8th Waver, graduate of UC Davis and Loyola Marymount University, and current 1st grade teacher at Dover Elementary in San Pablo. Interestingly, Dover Elementary is the very same school that Ariadna attended when she was in elementary school.
Describe your career path. What experiences provided insight along the way? Was your career path straight and planned, did you stumble into it, or was it somewhere in between?
I have always been drawn to the educational system and the inequalities surrounding education in our country. Making Waves definitely planted this seed and it was in college that I decided to join TFA.
What advice do you give to those interested in your field and type of work? Are there any experiences and skills that you recommend them working on while in college?
I would advise anyone interested in TFA or teaching to gain experience as early as possible. It is especially important to gain experience with youth or similar communities you will later work with. For example, I worked for the Cross Cultural Center and Davis Bridge in college which helped advance my skills in the area of leadership. It also gave me a clearer insight into the type of community I wanted to work for.
What general advice do you have for college students still trying to understand their path?
Try a little bit of everything in order to understand where your passions lie. This could include various internships, on campus jobs, and campus organizations. Get involved!
If you could give a piece of advice to your college self, what would it be?
You are remarkable. Try your best in all that you do.
What are your career dreams you have for yourself over the next 5-10 years?
There are so many options as I try to make this next career move. For me, I will be moving on from teaching into another sector this upcoming year. I am not sure where this will lead me to but I am excited for the journey.
When you are 80 years old, what do you hope people say about you?
I hope they say that I cared. I cared about my community and communities like mine. I hope people say that I did everything I could to make a difference.
Looking for more inspiration from our Wave-Makers - check these Wave-Maker Spotlights out!
1st Waver (San Francisco) - Vitalis Obidi
