Today we’d like to introduce you to Sandra Nunez.
Hi Sandra, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a proud Mexican American woman who was born and raised in Escondido, CA. I am 35 years young and have four children whom I live for daily. I have been through hell and back and decided years ago that I would never allow what I have been through stop me from becoming my best self. I am a proud First-Gen college student who defied all odds and I am proud of my educational journey. I am a former foster youth DV survivor and became a Mom at the young age of 13. I am proud to share my story. Those who know me know if it involves college/education, I AM YOUR GIRL! It is an honor to be known as that person. It makes my heart so happy to see women pursue Higher Ed because I have seen how many doors of opportunity it has opened for me, I have been able to see my own growth. But along our educational journeys, we need fuel, we need encouragement, and we need to believe in ourselves. So I became that person for myself when I needed myself the most. Sometimes we need tough love and honesty not a “beat around the bush pep talk” and sometimes we need to know that we are not alone, there are many of us out there trying to figure life out, trying to make something of ourselves, trying to create our spaces where we feel seen and feel like we belong. Then I thought why not share it with the world. Why not share it with other Chingonas who need a pick me up? What if there are more like me out there? So I decided to create this platform Educated Chingona in which I share my words whether they’re words of encouragement or reflections and look at where we are now! At 10k Chingonas, we have created a Chingonahood of amazing people with amazing stories! So thank you for being here, thank you for supporting me.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
By no means has it been easy. I face Imposter syndrome quite often. I find myself questioning what I do, but then I get direct messages saying thank you for the “inspiring posts, I needed to read this today” and I am reminded about my Whys and keep going. Not to mention the vulnerability that it takes to post some of my content. Sometimes it overwhelms me and I need to take a few days off to gather my thoughts and practice grounding techniques.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I was once told if you want something go out there and get it… so here I am. I know I’m not the only mom/woman/student who has faced hardships in life and that’s why I feel the need to give back. I really want this to be as raw as it can get. I know a lot of people are ashamed of their stories and are afraid to be vulnerable in front of a bunch of strangers, especially on social media but I believe I am mentally ready for it because I know how much people can take away from someone else’s experiences and stories. Growing up before entering the system, I didn’t have any guidance, I didn’t have that one person there to guide me towards the right direction, where to go, what to do, where to start. Even as a young adult, I had to learn how not to rely on other people to assist me. I would do my own research, signed myself up for school, and looked into resources for myself. Not many of us know how to take initiative and or become intimidated by the process, so we get stuck in this position where we just wait for something to happen. I want to try to help with that…I want to be that helping hand, I want to empower and inspire. My belief is that the cards I was dealt with in life happened for a reason. I guess God knew I would be resilient enough to get through it, move on, and apply what I learned to contribute to the lives of others. Having an education definitely changed my life and opened multiple doors for me. I’d love to start doing the same for other people and that’s why I created Educated Chingona. My Motto is “Plant the Seed of Empowerment Wherever You Go” and I stand by that. I am known for My Chingona motivated posts that empower women to step outside of their comfort zone, I encourage growth and the importance of mental health. I am proud of my vulnerability and my ability to use my story as empowerment and use it as a tool to help others find their purpose. I have many plans for Educated Chingona/Chingonaology but my primary focus is to bring scholarships to Educated Chingona in hopes to support women pursuing Higher Ed.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
I have learned that we can do hard things, hards things are possible to achieve. We are not our parent’s mistakes. We have the ability to end generational traumas and create a new narrative in our lives. We hold the power to redefine our stories and reframe them in a powerful way that not only benefits us but those around us. Our stories need to be heard and shared in order to reach others who may be feeling a bit low on fuel. When we share our stories, we plant empowerment and with that comes the potential to assist someone along their journey. Be proud of your story, be proud of the resilience you display, be proud of who you have become, and embrace it.
Contact Info:
- Email: educatedchingona@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/educatedchingona/?msclkid=cb63559fb0b811ecab604986f798890d
