Our Team
Youth Philanthropists
My name is Lonnie and I am a Junior at John O'Connell High School. This year marks my second year working at BLING as a Youth Philanthropist. Some of my hobbies include: reading, listening to music, and bonding with my community as much as possible. I am very passionate about my community well-being, especially when it comes to mental and emotional health. One of my goals in life is to become a children’s therapist so I can continue to teach my community about the importance and affect mental heath can have on us as individuals and as a whole.
Lonnie C
My name is Roy and I am a Junior at Lowell. This will be my second year in the program. Some of my favorite hobbies are hanging out with friends, playing basketball, and going outside. Social justice to me means that every person you encounter you are treating and giving an equal chance for something, You treat people the same and disregard their background whether that be race, religion, etc.
Roy Ho
My name is Evelin. I am a senior at El Cerrito High School. This is my third year at BLING. This is my second year participating in a program classed Girls Garage in Berkeley, where I do design and print projects that promote social justice issues. Some of my hobbies are photography, editing/photoshop, painting and playing soccer. Social justice, to me, is about helping everyone get equal opportunities and access to resources no matter how you look, where you live, where you’re from and your believes etc... My ultimate goal in life is to make a change that will better other peoples life. A quote I love is "we all die the goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will" by Tupac.
Evelin Cruz
My name is Sasha Malson and I am a junior at Lowell High School. Some of my hobbies include going on hike in nature, cooking, and swimming. I have previously worked with the Boys and Girls Club at their sleep away camp as a junior camp counselor for the past three summers. I also work with them to help make camp a better place by being on the camp council team. What social justice means to me is when everyone has equal access to any support that they need with no obstacles. My ultimate goal for life is to work at a job that i love and hopefully have a positive impact on my community along the way.
Sasha Malson
My name is Annabella and I am 16 years old. This is my second time being in BLING. In my spare time I enjoy listening to music, watching reruns of my favorite shows, making bracelets, and painting. I have an adorable hamster named Jared Jacques.
To me, social justice means that everyone deserves equality. This means, not only should everyone be treated with respect regardless of their race and gender, but that everyone should have the same equal opportunities.
Annabella Elisarraraz
My name is Esther and I am a freshman at Balboa High School. My hobbies are: cooking, playing basketball, listening to music, and hanging out with friends. An interesting fact about me is that I’ve participated in a grant for BLING; It was for a project me and a couple of my friends did, and yes we won the grant!!! Over the summer, I also applied for a job at summer bridge and I was accepted.
Something I overcame is being so shy. Because of that shyness, I would barely participate in any programs. I’m proud of myself to finally come out so much more; it was like overcoming a fear. Social justice is a very important topic for me. I think we should live in a place that supports gender equality, where we can advocate for free and fair access to justice. We should all be treating each other the way we want people to treat us, in a both fair and kind way. A goal I have in life is to become either a juvenile probation officer or a social worker because I would love working with little kids and teenagers my age .
Esther P.
Jack Guan
My name is Jack and I'm a junior at George Washington High School. This is going to be my second year at BLING. I have volunteered as a reading tutor at the library since freshman year. Some of my hobbies are: trying out new restaurants/boba places with my friends, studying French & Arabic, and watching Netflix. Social justice, to me, is about giving everyone equitable access to opportunities and working to build a better society. My ultimate goal in life is to be able to do something that I enjoy and I'm passionate about.
My name is LingLing and I am a sophomore at George Washington High School. My hobbies are: shopping, cooking, playing tennis, and spending time with friends. Over the past years I had volunteer at the the library, food banks, and the botanical garden. During my freshman year of high school, I was on the tennis team. What social justice means to me is where everyone can have equal access, opportunity, and rights. And they will be able to do things without getting judged. My ultimate goal in life is to get a job that I enjoy and be happy.