Get to know Amanda Marquez and Amanda Gonzales, the co-founders of Be The Change Community School, a prospective 9-12th grade community high school in Adams 14. Gonzales and Marquez’s vision is to provide rich educational and project-based learning opportunities for BIPOC youth in Commerce City, Colorado.

Amanda Marquez (left) and Amanda Gonzales (right) speaking to community members at the Moonshot office as part of Moonshot’s School Launcher’s Residency’s Presentations of Learning and End of Year Celebration - May 27th, 2022

What inspires you each and every day with the work that you do?

Marquez: It’s 100% the people. We get to meet the most incredible families, students, community members, and educators in the work we do. There is nothing more exciting to me than not only dreaming about what is possible but working with others to make it a reality.

Gonzales: Knowing that everything that I do has the potential to spark a flame in others inspires me. I view life through the impact that we will have on future generations and I want to leave this world knowing that something that I’ve done, no matter how large or small, has made a difference in someone's life and that can in turn make a difference in the lives of folx they impact.

Was there a pivot point in your personal or professional trajectories that led to where you are today? What events in your childhood or youth had an impact or helped shape/mold you into the person and leader you are today?

Gonzales: I’ve always been intelligent, passionate, and vocal about my beliefs but there were many years in my late teens and early twenties when I was silenced and taught that these characteristics were unbecoming of me as a woman. Struggling to stay silent and to simply believe the teachings of others though they were contrary to my being was very difficult for me. I was working with teens and knew that the work fueled my passions, but I felt hypocritical because I was supporting them in finding liberation and self while not following my guidance for myself.

That realization helped me to see that I needed to leave that community of people I had attached myself to. Being alone on a new journey with three kids under 5 was scary and incredibly liberating, but I came to the realization that the characteristics of myself that I had suppressed were actually my strengths, and I began to operate through them. This newfound self-actualization, paired with the need to financially support my kids, led me to earn a degree in special education, and as a teacher, I was able to create and teach in a program for students with social/emotional regulation issues and those coming out of jail. The community we built was unforgettable and I’m sure that the teens I worked with taught me more than I taught them. The journey has allowed me to grow exponentially and drives the work I continue to do.

What would you describe to be your personal core values and how do those translate into the school you envision?

Marquez: My personal values are Love and Hope. The core values of Be The Change Community School are Identity, Community, Confidence, and Civic Engagement. Knowing who you are and having a strong community surrounding you is all about love. Our change agents having the confidence to go out into the world and be civically engaged in a way that unlocks the power of their passion is all about hope for the future.

What does Moonshot mean to you and what steps can Moonshot take that would be meaningful in moving forward into the future?

Gonzales: For me, Moonshot is deeply personal because the people and the organization have supported me in believing in myself and the development of self-agency, which has had a positive impact on my children, and I know that will impact the future generations of my family.

The Moonshot Residency Program not only reminded me that I was capable, but that Be The Change l was possible. It’s also important for potential donors to know that Be The Change community would not exist without the funding that they’ve provided to Moonshot. I’m a mother of 7, which is not cheap, and I’m a person who has to work full time. If it wasn’t for the School Launcher Residency, I could not dedicate my focus to building this school, and it would only remain a good idea.

Learn more about Be The Change Community School at their website: https://www.bethechangecommunityschool.org/

A Shared Vision: Be The Change Community School

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