From Fresno to Michigan: How Evelyn is changing the narrative of her City
"Be proud of where you come from and where you're headed - Unknown"
My name is Evelyn Reyes, and I am a junior at the University of Michigan majoring in Organizational Studies and minoring in Business Administration and Community Action & Social Change. I am also the co-founder of Mi Casa Es Tu Casa Inc., an educational outreach nonprofit aiming to support disadvantaged high school students and parents.I come from humble beginnings. My dad works as a mattress maker, and my mom works at a factory packing and sorting bell peppers.
Since I was young, I remember my parents always cheering me on in my academics and reminding me that I was a ‘chingona,’ a badass.
I am a proud first-generation college student from Southwest Fresno, California, and I carry my roots with me wherever I go. People commonly refer to my side of town as the “ghetto side of town” and I felt the need to prove them wrong about my neighborhood.
At the end of my high school career, I realized I couldn’t just complain about my hometown like I felt everyone else around me was doing. Fresno does not get the respect it deserves, truly it doesn’t, therefore I decided to look for small ways to uplift my community and established Mi Casa Es Tu Casa. At Mi Casa Es Tu Casa, we find ways to support youth in my community (Fresno, California) to further their education after high school.
Without a doubt, one of the greatest challenges I’ve faced growing up was money or the lack thereof. But, if I have learned anything in my short 20 years, is that you can’t be scared of a price tag. With the support of mentors and family, I was able to fundraise most of the trips I took part in from elementary school to high school because I had set my mind to make it happen.
I am a young Latina trying to leave this world better than how it was when I first got here. Also, just a regular person that enjoys watching the sunsets, annoying her siblings, going on spontaneous adventures, and dancing all night with her friends.
Advice to younger self:
• Don’t let shyness hold you back from living in the moment and becoming the best version of yourself.