What has been the most significant event of your life thus far? We are excited to introduce APIASF/AANAPISI Scholar Maria Angela Sarte as our Present Voice of the Month for January 2017. As we will focus on service this month, Maria Angela was the perfect Scholar to represent! Here is Maria Angela in her own words:
My name is Maria Angela Sarte, and I am a 4th year student at California State University, Sacramento. I am a Pilipina American majoring in Ethnic Studies with a concentration in Asian American Studies. I am passionate about learning and teaching others what I have learned. I believe that there’s only so much that we can do with our thoughts and knowledge, so I live by sharing them with others in hopes of being inspired and inspiring as well. I am an advocate for those that are voiceless as I believe that everyone has the right to be heard. With my degree, I see a tremendous amount of potential as Ethnic Studies has only recently been implemented here in our Sacramento County for the K-12 public school education systems. I can only imagine it expanding nationwide, where I am determined to serve as an advocate to expose Ethnic Studies to other communities. I plan to become an educator with the desire of teaching students to discover the potential they have in themselves and to believe they are capable of achieving their goals with the actions of grit, love, and determination.
Where are you from? Where are you now?
I was born in South Sacramento, California where I spent my childhood days outdoors on bike trails adventuring alongside my father, brother, and sisters, and attending daily masses in prayer with my mother. My adolescent years here have exposed me to the diversity that Sacramento entails and I’ve only noticed this privilege now in my present-day. At age 21, I have become aware that this diversity that we have is not as prevalent in other counties, states, and even nations. Therefore, as a student studying at California State University, Sacramento and the knowledge that I learned is only a journey starting for me to see what else I can do in helping my own communities and communities different from mine.
Who or what do you re/present? And how?
I represent those communities that feel unheard, that feel trapped, and that have the potential to grow. As a little girl, I struggled with extreme low-self esteem and confidence issues. However, it only took one person to believe that I can all do things if I have that in my faith in myself. Unfortunately, around the world, I’ve discovered that sometimes people out there don’t have that one person to show them that there is so many things that they can do to make themselves out of something, even when they feel they cannot. I represent those that weren’t able to get the education that I have as I want to be the voice in ensuring that education is a possibility. I desire to fulfill the role in being that gateway of fostering a sense of belonging, a sense of comfort, and a sense of identity through achieving my goal of becoming an educator myself, as well as proceeding to work in Education Administration to ensure that the quality of education only strengthens for our future generations.
What has been the most significant event of your life thus far?
The most significant event of my life occurred during my stay in Hong Kong my summer of 2015 where I was granted sponsorship from the president of my university and my professor to attend a Service-Learning Conference along with other students and educators. I served as a panelist in presenting the importance of Ethnic Studies in our communities. With this being my first time traveling international as an adult and without my family, I was able to see Filipinos all over Central District, Hong Kong where I eventually learned that all of them serve as domestic workers in hopes of providing for their families back home. There were so many to count that spent time in this location every Sunday on their days off sitting on the ground with their banigs, or also known as Asian picnic mats. I couldn’t help but cry afterwards because of how overwhelmed I was in discovering that although we come from the same motherland, our lives are very different. They remind me of humility and perseverance as they sacrificed so much just to give what they can to their loved ones. Every time I study, I now think of these women as I hope that they continue to have the strength that pushed them this far in their lives. I am also reminded of the blessings that I have with having access to education, and the drive that is in me to pass this on in giving opportunity to those that don’t.
What superhero power would you want? And why?
The superpower that I always say that I want is to time travel because so much of history is what makes us the persons that we are now. I’d like to relive and to understand why things came to be the way that they are, and even though I know that life works in mysterious ways, and that sometimes we cannot get the answers to everything—with history—I believe it can be the closest thing to bringing us that understanding.
