My name is Elena Stevens, and I am a senior at PHS!  I am half Chinese. I have been a part of the Affinity Mentor Program since it was founded, and have attended Piedmont schools since first grade. Growing up I never really gave much thought to race because “white” culture is so prevalent in Piedmont that I naturally identified and gravitated towards my white side. I joined the mentorship program as a freshman and have really benefited from connecting with the kids, as I hope they have done the same through our meetings together. 

My name is Audrey La Jeunesse, and I’m a senior at PHS. I identify as Asian-American and mixed race (Chinese and white), and I use she/her pronouns. I felt disconnected from many of my peers and confused about my identity going to Piedmont schools since kindergarten, and I had to find comfort in my identity on my own. I wanted to become a mentor to help younger kids in my position. This will be my third year with the mentorship program!

Hello! I am Monte. I am a senior at Millennium High School and my pronouns are he/him. I am Taiwanese-American and was adopted at 11 months old by my current guardians. I joined Affinity Mentorship to help those who are struggling with some things that they may not feel comfortable sharing with their parents and to support kids who are being bullied for being different. I have struggled fitting in around Piedmont as it is a very white dominant community. So I would also like to help those few kids that want help find that they do actually have a place in and around the Piedmont community.

Hi! I go by Cleo or Cleopatra, and my pronouns are she/her. I am a Senior at PHS. I am half Egyptian and half white and I identify as middle eastern. Growing up, that has been something that I have had to come to terms with since I am technically african, and people immediately characterized me into being black. I now know that is something I do not identify with even if others perceive me that way. Self worth and peace are very important values I hold and hope to educate and help others with. 

I’m Valentina Prieto Black, a Mexican-American Senior at Piedmont HIgh School. When I was 8 years old, I moved from Mexico, to Piedmont and since then, have had to work hard to re-discover how my “Mexican Identity” fit into my new “American” Identity. Growing up in this predominantly white town, it has been hard to find a sense of belonging, and I am still working to fully love myself and learn more about my culture and background. I became a mentor because I wanted to give young kids of color a space and mindset to grow into their identities. This will be my second full year mentoring :)

My name is Ken, and I am a first generation Filipino-American. 

I use he/him pronouns and currently am a senior at PHS. Growing up in Piedmont as one of the few Filipinos, I felt a little ostracized from the rest of the student body. I feel my experiences in Piedmont can help other students who might be facing similar struggles.

My name is Axel Saldanha, I am a second generation Indian-American and a first generation Belgian-American. I am a Senior at Piedmont High School, a member of the Soccer team, and the Piedmont Troubadours. As one of the few South-Asian kids on my soccer teams and at school, it was tough for me to fit in and I was exposed to a lot of racist comments, making me want to help others in my position.

Hi! My name is Adia and I use she/her pronouns. I am half Chinese, half white, and a senior at Millennium High School. I grew up going to very diverse schools in Oakland and then came to Piedmont freshman year. This change was very confusing and isolating for me in terms of my identity. A couple of years later, I hope to help navigate kids feeling any sort of confusion as I did, or to just be a role model to look up to.

I am a first generation Salvadoran with he/him pronouns and I’ve lived in Piedmont for about 4 years. Coming from arguably one of the most internationally diverse hotspots in the US, life in Piedmont vastly changed my view and understanding of the world in contrast to New York. Upon my early days in  this western land, I soon came to realize that I was different. And not in a “you’re a special snowflake” kind of a way, I’m different…  an outsider. 

My name is Danny Allen (he/him) and I'm a senior at Piedmont High. I used to be sad and insecure because I’m trans but now it’s all good. 

I joined the Affinity Mentorship program because I want trans kids to know that they’re not alone and they have someone to look up to. I also want to educate our community about different identities.

Hi! My name is Maddy Hill, my pronouns are she/her, and I am a senior at PHS. I identify as Asian American and mixed race (Chinese, Indian, and Caucasian). I am so excited to be a mentor this year, and I hope that I can help younger PUSD students feel a sense of belonging that I did not feel growing up here!

My name is Cole Nash (he/him). I am a senior at PHS, and I live in Piedmont. I am Jewish and I have just started with the Affinity Mentorship Program. I wanted to work with younger kids and help them establish their identities. I think that it is really important for young people to have lots of people they look up to.

My name is Oliver Shafroth (he/him) and I just joined the Affinity Mentorship program. I am Jewish and I think it is important for kids to have people who they can look up to. I am excited to get to know the kids and help them get to know themselves.

Hi my name is Phoenix, I use any pronouns. I’m a Nigerian-American senior at Piedmont High School. I lived in Texas for ten years before moving to the Bay. I’m excited to help other minorities or LGBTQ+ kids feel comfortable during their time at Piedmont and give them someone like themselves to look up to.

Hello, my name is Camille and my pronouns are she/her. I am half white, one quarter Mexican, and one quarter Italian. I am currently a senior at PHS and I moved to Piedmont in the first grade. I want to help mentor kids to make sure they feel welcomed and secure in school.

Hi! My name is Hailey Marshburn, my pronouns are she/her. I'm a senior at Piedmont High. School has not always been my strong suit and I always known I had to work harder to do what other kids considered easy. I finally was tested last year and was diagnosed with Dyslexia. It was the most validating experience I have had and I finally felt like I wasn't just “slow”. I want to help other kids with their learning disabilities to not feel ashamed and to teach them how to advocate for themselves when it comes to school because it can often be extremely hard. 

Hello! My name is Jack and I am a senior at PHS. Last year, I got the chance to work with the mentorship class as they put on a school board candidate panel for students. I was very impressed by the work that this group has done & I was eager to help again. This year, I was invited to join as a liaison to other student groups on campus and to help put on district wide events. I am the PHS ASB President & I’m very excited to help bring the Affinity Mentorship class, MHS ASB class and PHS ASB class together, as we are often aligned in what we want. I will not be a mentor this year, but I will be in the mentorship class. I’m so excited to see how this year pans out!

Hello I am Alejandra Marisol Roy, my pronouns are She/Her, and I am 17 years old. I am a Black and Mexican American Senior and this is my first year being apart of Infinity Mentorship, which I am really excited about. I have been living in Piedmont for a long time, since the 1st grade, and in my time living here it has been kind of hard dealing with things such as being a child of divorced parents, coming to terms of my Bisexuality (especially in middle school), and being an IEP (Individualized Education Program) kid which just meant I learn differently than others, and having a hard time relating to other kids culturally wise due to being in a predominantly white school. I am excited to be apart of this program and helping kids who share the same or similar experiences as I did. I am here for those that are generally having a hard time and need some guidance or support.