Thoughts on Diane Guerrero

After attending Diane Guerrero's talk at Northwestern University, Mundelein High School Scholar Coach Natalia interviewed Scholar Yahaira about her thoughts and takeaways. Below, you will find the transcript of their discussion.

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Natalia Nevarez: What are some general thoughts and reflections you have from the talk?

Yahaira Gomez: I really liked it, I thought it was going to be one of those usually boring talks but it [was] Diane Guerrero and she is a famous person. Most talks I go to are boring because they’re just blah [and bland] but this one actually intrigued me [and] not just because [I] can relate in some ways. I mean, my parents didn’t get deported but they are also not from [the United States]. And she also talked about how you shouldn’t give up so easily. That can also relate to me because sometimes I worry too much about [my future]. I’m worried about [whether or not I] can get into college because I don’t have a lot of money, but then through everything [Diane] went through she’s here now and she was just, she lost her parents, she didn’t have a lot of money and even though she had problems in her life she made it through now she’s on TV.

NN: It sounds like you were really inspired by her overcoming the obstacles in her life, can you tell me more about how you relate to that?

YG: So I read her book because everything she [talked] about [at Northwestern] is actually in her book. In her book she talks a lot about how she was scared to go to college and I really liked that because I’m scared to go to college because I’m worried what if I’m not going to make it, what if like I don’t get to graduate or stuff like that. She had to go through a lot of jobs, she went through depression and so like I’m scared that I’m going to go through that and like once high schools over how my life is going to become.

NN: You brought up a lot of relatable moments in her talk, for example when she talked about her insecurities, mental health, and all the obstacles that she overcame how did you feel leaving the talk?

YG: I felt a little bit inspired I mean I read her book so that was already inspiring but when I left I was like wow I can’t believe she’s here and that I saw her and that she said all of that. I was like maybe I can, like if she could do it then I can do it too because I have a lot of obstacles but that’s just part of life. Just like making bread, when you’re making bread you can redo it again and start all over and you can do it too. So she kind of inspired me in that way because she went through a lot and she came here to talk about that a now she’s famous.

NN: What was something that surprised you about the talk?

YG: I don’t know if this is an answer, but what surprised me was how she interacts with the people. She’s really funny and like she really, I don’t know, something about her was like capturing because I actually was listening so and I really liked how she [made a dialogue between herself and the audience]. I bet it would be really easy to have a conversation with her because she seems to actually be listening when others speak.

NN: Can you speak about a specific moment where you felt that way during the talk?

YG: There was a couple of moments where she made these jokes, but the moment was when she hugged Erika (a fellow MHS scholar). I was like wow she really does care and that shows who she really is, she is caring and she cares about her “fans” because we are her fans and that shows what kind of person she is.

NN: Can you speak a little bit about why you attended the mini?

YG: I attended it because I read the book and I really liked it because the fact that its nonfiction and it actually happened was really good, I like the book overall and I do watch her show so that’s also part of the reason but like I just wanted to know more about what she was going to say. She didn’t talk a lot about the book, mostly just her family. But she mostly talks about overcoming obstacles and answering a lot of questions. But yeah I attended because I wanted to see her and I wanted to hear what she had to say. I knew people were going to start asking about DACA and Trump and I wanted to hear her opinion and also how she overcame her obstacles: how she did it, how she’s like look I’m here because of all my hard work.

NN: I know that you had a role in helping the staff with the mini-exposure. What was it like to go on a mini that you influenced get off the ground?

YG: Well at first Nahlee [brought up Diane’s talk at Northwestern] as a causal statement, and I was like why can’t we actually go? And she said “well we have STEP that day” and I was like “but you can reschedule that” I don’t know I don’t like, it felt kind of good but I don’t like saying that I inspired it. I felt like everyone in some sort of way put in their part so but it felt really good cause I got to see something that I wanted to see in the first place and I didn’t know was going to happen.

NN: So how can we bring back what we experience in that talk to MHS?

YG: This goes out to all the seniors but, actually all the students. Like I mentioned earlier I really liked: you can do it, don’t give up. Like she went through a rough time with her parents being deported and then she overcame so many obstacles. She was an alcoholic, she was depressed, there was a time she wanted to kill herself but at the end with the help of people that loved her she overcame everything she went to college, she got into a TV show. If we can bring anything back, it’s like cheesy, but don’t give up because that actually it. It’s the mindset, if you have a negative mindset it might not happen. You have to try, at least try.

NN: Any last words:

YG: I should’ve taken a selfie with her.