Navigating Through KIPP and UC Berkeley: My Story of Identity, Creativity, and Finding Community

*Crystal’s story as told by Miriam Fernandez

I was born and raised in Oakland. The city life is what I was used to, but on my 10th birthday, my family and I moved to a suburban neighborhood in San Lorenzo. Moving was nerve-wracking and so was starting a new school with new people. I had left behind all of my friends and everything I knew. 

Even though I didn’t know it yet, going to a KIPP middle school and high school would change my life. Being a part of a small school allowed me to develop important skills, find community within the clubs I joined, and focus on my art. 

In fact, one of my foundational memories from KIPP Summit was playing the violin in the orchestra. I really appreciated Ms. Fiano’s teaching and how we created our own community based on our passion for music. We became close with each other because we wanted to, not because we had to. Whether we were practicing in the classroom or competing at Great America (and winning!), we always had a good time.

Music was one of the factors that helped drive my eagerness to come to school, but the transition from middle school to the KIPP high school next door was challenging. Even though I physically only moved across a yellow line dividing the middle and high school campuses, I remember thinking, How do I want to grow and change?

I didn’t know the answer to this question, but in the spring semester of my freshman year, I heard about Outward Bound. This was a week-long program spent outdoors with other KIPP students. Despite my lack of backpacking experience, I decided to join the program to see if I could figure out how I wanted to grow into young adulthood. This was one of the most transformative experiences, one that ignited passion. Up until this trip, I had usually stayed within my comfort zone, but it was this experience that really inspired me to become much more involved within my school community.

Growing up, I had always been interested in creating traditional art, using my hands and seeing things visually. This interest continued to grow at KIPP King as I took on design roles in classes like Leadership and clubs like Interact. I was able to take photographs, create flyers, and work on banners. Then, during my senior year, I became a design co-executive with a friend. Through communicating, we learned how to split priorities and support each other.

When it was time to apply to colleges, I originally wanted to be on the East Coast because as an 18-year-old, I believed that I needed to move far away to change. However, I later decided that financially and personally, attending a school in the Bay Area would be the best decision for me. To help offset some of the expensive costs of college, I was applying to scholarships through KIPP.

A few months later, I was intending to go to UC Santa Cruz and had even gone to visit the campus with my family when UC Berkeley’s decision letter came. I was accepted and when comparing both schools, I decided that UC Berkeley was the better choice for me. While I was experiencing this joyous moment, I was surprised by my school principal with the news I had won the prestigious Dave Goldberg scholarship! With this scholarship, I became a part of a cohort of 15 other students throughout the country who received financial support and mentorship. This was really helpful in my transition from high school to college because I was able to connect with other students and share stories about going to KIPP schools.

Leaving home to go live on campus was the next step to learn how I want to grow and learn as this was something completely new for me. For the first time in my life, I was completely independent. I had been accepted into Summer Bridge, a program that supports students entering their first year by attending college courses in the summer leading to my freshman year. I learned how to wake myself up, how to communicate with roommates, and how to use public transportation for the first time. 

Being at UC Berkeley has also allowed me to continue helping community organizations. One cool experience was joining a class that allowed me to travel to Puerto Rico for a week-long service project. My passion for community and arts has manifested in majoring in Landscaping Architecture. I am able to do something I genuinely like to do and make an impact. 

One of the best experiences in my landscape architecture studies so far has been traveling abroad to Barcelona, Spain. I learned about housing and urbanism and each of our classrooms was a different space— an office space, a co-op, and a non-profit organization. Since then, I’ve become a strong advocate for studying abroad and will be studying abroad again this upcoming August. 

In all of these experiences, I reflect back on my time being a KIPP student and appreciate all the support I received. At KIPP, I learned that everyone’s journey is different and that’s normal. At Berkeley, I’ve been able to meet so many people with different identities who all bring their own talents, and it’s been so cool to learn from them. 

Learning and growth have always inspired me and have served as important themes in my art and my work. From the music I played in middle school to creating art for clubs and classes in high school to expanding on the creative learning I’ve gained in school through traveling, I have continuously developed and leaned into my creativity and hope to further my artistic work towards a career in landscape architecture.