2020Ponce-RojasAlejandra

Hello y'all, my name is Alejandra Ponce-Rojas, I go by Ale or Ponce or the whole name. I am from Watsonville, CA, sister to 3 fellow first-generation babies and daughter of Jalisco native-born parents. I am currently trying to double major in Sociology and Gender, and minor in Chicano/a and Central American Studies. I am very passionate about law, immigration, art, and healing as a collective through mediums that are reflective of our individual capacities and experiences. Some stuff that I do to take care of myself is to put my phone down and use it only for communication instead of a source of distraction or entertainment, sitting and spending time with my friends, sitting in nature/outside and journaling, eat mindfully and intentionally, go on runs with my friends, and practice making and performing limpias on myself. In my time at UCLA I have been exposed to new ideas of thinking and healing that have heavily influenced my approach and understanding of academia. Although I am outspoken on systemic issues and call people on their BS quite often, I think a move toward collective growth and empowerment is what I envision myself fighting for. I am more in tune with how to approach myself and take care of myself now 2 decades into my life. I look forward to exploring the history of Chicana art and artist this quarter and learning all about the breakdown of their work and the meaning behind their art.

*pic description: me, alejandra, back toward the pacific ocean on the side of the Pacific Highway 1, on da way to Big Sur*
creds: my partner baby!