a helping hand in the community

By Lois Solorio

30-year-old Vanessa Sepulveda from San Jose California, who has been working on the YB campus for three years, has made a home for herself. 

Being a cheer coach and a monitor for the City Peace has allowed her to make multiple connections with people in the YB community. Facing struggles having to balance four things at once but still wanting to be there for the people who need her shows she is a big role model to the school. 

Sepulveda has loved cheer since she was in high school and sadly wasn't able to have a strong bond with her coaches since they left during her cheer season. Now in her second year of coaching she is making sure she is there for her cheer girls to make them feel supported and confident in the cheer program. 

Sepulveda: “When I look at you guys perform im like yeah they did it they did so great like those are my girls.”

When Sepulveda isn't coaching she is working with the City Peace finding ways to give back to not only the YB community but to anyone who is in need. From holiday events to backpack drives trying to help in any way to make sure people are happy and have the things they need to feel confident coming to school to learn. 

Sepulveda: “getting to bless a whole community of kids like kids who can't afford things whether it's giveaways of labubus and you just make them feel good about themselves and they're so excited to go to school.”

Being a cheer coach and helping the community is stressful but also having to balance online school and planning a wedding all at the same time can be a mental setback.

Sepulveda: “I'm getting my masters so having to balance an eight hour position and school can be difficult especially when I'm devoting 2 and a half hours of cheer and then planning a wedding on top of that  so it's a lot.”

In my own interactions with Sepulveda she is kind but strict when it comes to needing to get things done. She is tough when it comes to certain situations but it is because she wants to see people succeed. Sepulveda always tries to stay on top of the things that she needs to but when she sees that someone is upset she is always there trying to help to make sure that they are okay.