Patricia Flores

Mission Graduates is a nonprofit that aims to make college the expectation for first-generation Latino and immigrant students in San Francisco’s Mission District. I have volunteered as a Writing Partner for five years, guiding my mentees through the college application process and helping them craft their personal statements. I love supporting these students because I was once one of them, and feel it’s my responsibility to help these students showcase their brilliance and resilience in their college essays.

I love supporting these students because I was once one of them, and feel it’s important to help these students showcase their brilliance and resilience.

My commitment to a life of service isn’t a commitment, but rather a responsibility. Coming from a working class immigrant family, I have seen and lived firsthand the impact of our flawed public education system, the lack of opportunities for kids who lived in neighborhoods like mine, and systemic racism’s most insidious forms — especially among communities of color. Living a life of service means leveraging my lived experiences to uplift others in both my personal and professional life.