“I’m an immigrant and my experience and feelings about a topic is something that no one else can describe better than myself.” - Anderson Ortiz
SVUDL enables students to uncover and hone the power of their voices so that they can confidently step into their full potential as professional and community leaders: Anderson Ortiz is an excellent example of this. Not only is he a senior at Oxford Day Academy in East Palo Alto, but he has earned a spot in the coveted Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula for the Youth of the Year finals, securing a spot in the nationals in Sacramento!
Anderson recognizes that having a diversity of voices helps to build a more equitable and brighter world. “We can all share experiences and feelings about a social conflict that is affecting our society. I’m an immigrant and my experience and feelings about a topic is something that no one else can describe better than myself. Perhaps I was there and people around the world can learn from my unique perspective. This is true for many around the globe. If we all have a voice, we can start to address those conflicts,” he noted.
The tools he gleaned from SVUDL help him advocate for what he feels is important. “The skills I have learned and value most are public speaking and the ability to express my thoughts and feelings about what is happening around me: the ability to speak in public is a skill that not only helps me in the academic arena, but also in the social arena. Being able to express my thoughts and feelings about any problem or any situation will always be invaluable to me,” said Anderson.
SVUDL has changed the perspective of Anderson’s life in a multitude of ways. “Now, in every situation, I want to see two sides of the same coin,” he said. Since he joined SVUDL, he realized that the way he sees the world has changed. “Being positive and seeing the positivity in life is part of that. No matter what I’m going through or what the situation is around me, I’m always able to flip the coin and see the pros of that situation. Making decisions has always been hard for me, but my perspective has changed and now I make better decisions by seeing both the pros and cons of every situation I’m facing,” he said.
SVUDL has also impacted his academic goals for the future. He is excited to go to college and put his impromptu skills into practice in this outside world. “I’m ready for college and for life, and part of that is because of SVUDL. The skill of communication and critical thinking is something that makes me feel ready for my goals for the future, and SVUDL has been the key to me feeling comfortable in that area,” Anderson reflected.
The encouragement of every culture is something that surprised him during his journey through Speech and Debate. “As an English language learner, I was scared about how the experience was going to be in the SVUDL environment. But, when I saw that everyone understood my situation, and gave me the opportunity to participate in my first language, Spanish, it changed everything for me. It was incredible to see the encouragement of everyone around me without them ‘seeing’ my nationality, race or religion,” he said.
Anderson will be heading to college this fall with the goal of majoring in Kinesiology. Wherever he goes, we know he’ll be ready for the challenges as he brings his full experiences and skill set from the past few years to campus.
