Breaking Down the Walls

Westmont High School student Kaylee Garcia was among 25 student leaders who helped their peers from Silicon Valley Career Technical Education (SVCTE) center in the Breaking Down the Walls (BDTW) on Aug. 29.

Garcia and the other student leaders completed a three-hour training to prepare them to guide their peers through a full day of activities designed to build meaningful connections. More than 100 students participated in the BDTW event, organized by ignite2unite.

“What inspired me to step into this student leadership position was I felt it was a really great opportunity to put myself out there in a way that I wasn’t really familiar with, and I just felt like it was a really great chance to get to know my peers and people that I maybe kind of recognized but never got a chance to talk to otherwise,” Garcia said in a release.

Run by the Metropolitan Education District, SVCTE provides career technical education for high school students in Santa Clara County.  Mobile apps and web development teacher Jesus Correa, who co-led the event, said the goal in bringing in BDTW was to “create an opportunity for students from all of our different courses and from the 45-plus schools that attend SVCTE to come together in a meaningful way.”

Correa said student leaders were nominated by their teachers and staff for their leadership potential, positivity and willingness to support their peers.

“Their role was crucial because they set the tone for the activities, encouraged participation and helped create a safe environment for honest conversations,” he added.