Mercury News Wishbook 2020 - Pivotal

Aspandemi ccompl i cat est hoseagi ngoutof f os t ercar e,anonpr ofits t epsup SanJos ebas edPi v ot al hashel pedJas mi neT er r anov afinds t abl ehous i ngandpai r ed herwi t hacoact ohel phers ucceedi ns chool ByEmi l yDeRuy BayAr eaNewsGr oup Publ i s hedNov ember2020 WhenJas mi neT er r anov abecames i ckwi t ht hecor onav i r usr ecent l y,t he26year ol dcoul dn’ tcl i mb i nt oacoz ybedt or ecuper at eorcountonl ov edonest odel i v ers oupt oherf r ontpor ch.

That ’ sbecaus et heGav i l anCol l eges t udentf oundher s el fs l eepi ngal oneatni ghti nher2002 T oyot aCamr y.

Shes t r uggl edt obr eat heass hepr ayedt hatpol i cewoul dn’ tbootherf r om apar ki ngs paceneara gass t at i oni nMor ganHi l l . “ Is omet i mesf eel l i k eI ’ m hol di ngi tt oget herwi t hchewi nggum andol dnews paper , ”s hes ai d.

Ent erPi v ot al ,aSanJos ebas ednonpr ofitt hathel psSi l i conVal l ey’ sf os t eryout hs ucceedi nhi gh s chool ,col l egeandbeyond.Theor gani z at i on,whi chpr ov i descoachi ng,s chol ar s hi psandcar eer r eadi nes spr ogr ams ,hadal r eadybeenhel pi ngT er r anov awi t hs chool .Butwhens het es t edpos i t i v e f orCOVI D1 9andconfidedt hes t or yofhers l eepi ngar r angement s ,Pi v ot al ar r angedf orhert os t ay i nanear byhot el ,gi v i nghert i menotonl yt or ecov erbutt os av eupenought oputdownadepos i t onar ent edr oom i ndownt ownSanJos e. “ Theyar es os uppor t i v e, ”s hes ai d.“ I t ’ ski ndofl i k eaf ami l y. ” I nr es pons et ot hepandemi c,t henonpr ofithasl aunchedanemer gencyas s i s t ancepr ogr am t ohel p youngpeopl epayf orev er yt hi ngf r om r entandgr ocer i est ol apt ops . “ Thes es t udent sr eal l yar el i v i ngont hi nmar gi nsasi ti s ,andt hepandemi chasmadet hos emar gi ns ev ent hi nner , ”s ai dChr i s t i neSal i nas ,Pi v ot al ’ sgr ant smanager .

Theor gani z at i on,whi chconnect swi t hmanypar t i ci pant sbywor ki ngwi t hcommuni t ycol l egesi n Sant aCl ar aCount y,i ss eeki ng$1 5, 000t hr oughWi s hBookt ohel pex pandt hepr ogr am.

Formanyyoungpeopl e,t ur ni ng21i saj oyousoccas i on.Butf orf os t eryout h,i t ’ st heageatwhi ch t hes er v i cesandf undi ngmanyr el yont os t ayafloatev apor at e.

Whi l ecol l egei sacommongoal ,j us tat i nyf r act i on— ar ound3% — off os t eryout hi nt hecount r y ear nabachel or ’ sdegr ee.Hal fl eav ehi ghs chool wi t houtadi pl oma.Manydr opoutbecaus et hey needt owor kt os uppor tt hems el v es .

Theout comesar es i gni ficant l ybet t erf orPi v ot al par t i ci pant s— 86% gr aduat ef r om hi ghs chool , and30% ear nabachel or ’ sdegr ee.

Jas mi nes t udi esonl i neatherapar t ment

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Butt hecor onav i r uspandemi chast hr owncol l egepl ansf orev ent hemos ts t abl ef ami l i esi nt ochaos .

Fos t eryout hpr epar edt oat t endf our yearcol l egest hatwer epr ov i di nghous i ngs uddenl yf ound campus escl os edandl i v i ngs i t uat i onspr ecar i ous .Theyl os tacces st ocampuscomput erl abswi t h r el i abl eWi Fi .Theyl os tpar t t i mej obs .Whi l et hei rpeer sr et r eat edt ochi l dhoodbedr ooms ,t hey flounder ed. “ Ther e ’ snof ami l yt ol eanon, ”Sal i nass ai d.“ Theys ys t em r eal l yhasf ai l edt ot ak ecar eoft hes e chi l dr eni nawayt hati sequi t abl eandf ai r . ” T er r anov ahadbeens t ayi ngi nahomel es ss hel t eri ndownt ownSanJos ebuthadt ol eav e.Pi v ot al hel pedherfindar oom i naf or merf os t erpar ent ’ shous e— wi t hal ockont hedoorandi nt er net acces s .Thi ngss eemedt obel ooki ngup.Butt hent hecor onav i r uss t r uckandT er r anov apack edup herbel ongi ngsandmov edi nt ohercar— wor r i edabouti nf ect i nganyoneel s e.

T er r anov ahasnev erhadt hel ux ur yofs t abi l i t y.

TheEas tBaynat i v es pentmos tofherchi l dhoodi nahomewher ephys i cal andemot i onal abus e wer et henor m.Ther ewer enohappyf ami l ygat her i ngsors agewor dsofwi s dom l i k es hes awonTV .

News chool sev er yyear .Uns peak abl ecr uel t yf r om t hepeopl ewhower es uppos edt onur t ur eand pr ot ecther .

Ev ent ual l y— r i ghtass hehi tt hos et eenyear st hatar eangs t r i ddenatbes t— t her ewasf os t ercar e.

“ Noonenot i cedt hatIwas n’ tdoi nghomewor k .

Nobodys ai danyt hi ng, ”T er r anov as ai dofher ear l i eryear s .“ I twashar dt of ocusoncl as s whenIwaswonder i ngi f( mymom)woul dbei n agoodorbadmoodwhens hegothome.Ihad badanx i et yabouti t . ” SheknewaboutPG&Ebi l l sandangr y l andl or ds ,butnotaboutcr edi torheal t hy r el at i ons hi ps . “ Iwasonmyownal ot , ”T er r anov as ai d.“ Ihad t ol ear nev er yt hi ngf r om s cr at ch.Idi dn’ thav e anyonet os howmehowanyt hi ngwor k s . ” Y ett oday,T er r anov ai sa4.

0mol ecul arbi ol ogy whi zonherwayt obecomi ngadoct or ,wi t h bi gdr eamst oopenherowns pacewher e f os t eryout h,es peci al l yt hos ei nt heL GBT Q communi t y,canf eel s af e.

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Wi t ha4.

0i nmol ecul arbi ol ogy,Jas mi nei s s t udyi ngherwayt obecomi ngadoct or .

She ’ sdonet hehar dwor k ,att i mesi npr ecar i ousci r cums t ancest hatt hr eat enedt oder ai l her pr ogr es s .Buts omeofhers ucces si sal s or oot edi nPi v ot al .

Di anaSeoudi sT er r anov a’ sPi v ot al coach— r egul ar l ychecki ngi nbyt ex t ,phoneand,now,v i deo chat si npl aceofmeet i ngst hatus edt ot ak epl aceatSt ar buck sbef or et hepandemi c.Somet i mes t hepai rt al kaboutl ongt er m academi cgoal sort oughcour s es ,s omet i mesaboutr el at i ons hi ps .

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Di anaSeoud,Pi v ot al ’ spos t s econdar ycoach,hasbeenJas mi ne ’ s coachf orov erayear .

Seoudhel psherwi t hj obs ear chesandr es umebui l di ng,s chol ar s hi pappl i cat i onsandt he bur eaucr at i cwebt hati sfinanci al ai d.I fs hedoes n’ tknowt heans wer ,s heconnect sT er r anov awi t h s omeonewhodoes .Shenet wor k s .I t ’ st i mei nt ens i v e,l abor i nt ens i v e,ex haus t i ng,r ewar di ngwor k . “ Al otoft hem ar et ol dt hei rwhol el i v est hey’ r enev ergoi ngt omak ei t ,nev ergoi ngt ocol l ege, ”s ai d Seoud,whoi sempl oyedbyPi v ot al butbas edatGav i l an,wher es hewor k swi t hr oughl yt wodoz en f os t eryout h.“ Weens ur et hatours t udent sar es uppor t ed. ” Pi v ot al al s opus hess t udent st ol i v eupt ot hei rpot ent i al i nawayt hatmanyf os t eryout hhav en’ t beenpus hed. “ She ’ snotaf r ai dt ocal l meouti fI ’ ms t ar t i ngt of al l behi nd, ”T er r anov as ai dofhercoach. “ Somet i mesi t ’ snotOK,andIneedt oheari t .I t ’ sni cef ors omeonet opays omuchat t ent i on. ” Thes edays ,whens he ’ snotbur i edunderamount ai nofcour s ewor k ,T er r anov ai schecki ngoutnew Pl aySt at i ongamesorhangi ngoutatt hebeachwi t hf r i ends .She ’ sdr eami ngoft r ans f er r i ngt oCal St at eMont er eyBaywher ei t ’ scool andcal m. “ Y est hey’ r ef os t eryout h,butt hey’ r ej us tl i k eev er yot hers t udentandt heydes er v ewhatev er yot her s t udentr ecei v es ,t oo, ”Seouds ai d.“ It hi nkt hatJas mi nehass omuchpot ent i al andI ’ v es eenherat herbes tandatherwor s t ,andIal wayst el l heri fs he ’ ss t r uggl i ng:Iknowyoucangett owher eyou wantt obe. ”