My name is Inaya Majid, I am a senior at PHS and I am a second generation Pakistani-American. Growing up in a predominantly white community and having been through the Piedmont School system, I noticed at a young age that my culture and ethnicity were different from my peers. It was constantly hard to fit and explain who I was. I joined the Affinity Mentorship Program last year because I feel it is important to educate kids on different ethnic backgrounds and especially to help kids accept their culture and identity! 

My name is Natalie Tsung and I am Chinese American. I am a Senior at PHS, and this will be my fourth year being a mentor! I moved from Hong Kong to Piedmont as a Freshman, and being a part of the Affinity Mentorship Program has allowed me to learn a lot about myself and a lot about the culture here in Piedmont. I really enjoy working with little children and it is really special for me to be able to mentor children who look like me. I’m excited to be a mentor again because I get to help the future generations explore and learn more about their culture and identities.I want to continue to promote inclusivity and belonging, and make sure that every kid in Piedmont knows that there is a place for them in this town.

Hi, my name is Dahlia Saffouri (she/her) and I am a senior at Piedmont High School. I am ¼ Palestinian, ¼ Lebanese, ½ caucasian, and I identify as Middle Eastern - American. This is my first year in the Affinity Mentorship Program and I look forward to helping younger kids embrace their differences as they grow older and have to navigate the social climate in PUSD. My experiences growing up in Piedmont as a middle eastern girl have had a big impact on me, and in many ways, negatively. Being one of the few middle eastern kids in the Piedmont community, I felt like an outsider and I’d like to help other young people with my shared identity have the tools to overcome the discrimination present. 

My name is Alina Shahid (she/her), and I am a senior at PHS. I am 50% Egyptian, 25% Japanese, 25% German and I generally identify as middle eastern. Growing up I always felt a little different, no matter how accepting or kind my peers were. Being surrounded by people who didn't look like me or have the same cultural values and foods as me made me feel like an outsider and insecure with my identity at times, and that is something that I want to help others overcome and navigate. This is my third year in the Affinity Mentorship Program and I am looking forward to guiding other students to feel more comfortable and confident in themselves with their identities. 

Hi my name is Jordan Kim(she/her) and this is my 3rd year in Affinity mentorship. I identify as Asian American and I am ½ Korean and ½ Japanese. This is a program that has deep meaning to me due to the lack of diverse role models when I was a kid growing up in Piedmont. The lack of representation in the TV I was watching, in school books we read, and people at my school growing up had mainly a negative influence about how I saw myself. Due to this I was often faced uncomfortableness with my identity and had trouble having conversations about race until I was older. Because of the personal experiences I have had with my identity I feel as though I am able to influence others growing up in PUSD in a positive way. I always enjoy spending time with younger kids and am hoping to be someone they can look up to as a friend and a role model. 

Hi, my name is Emmett Baldwin (he/him) and I am a senior at Piedmont High School. I am Jewish and gay. My experiences growing up in Piedmont have shaped me and my identity in many ways, positively and negatively. Being one of the few gay kids in the Piedmont community, I didn’t have anyone to relate to and found it hard be open about my own identity. This is my first year in the Affinity Mentorship Program and I want to be able to help kids be comfortable with their identities and develop self confidence. 

My name is Shakila Zuberi (she/her), I’m a senior at Millennium High school. I am a student board rep for PUSD and this is my second year in the mentorship program. I look forward to growing my relationship with my mentees! I was born/raised in Oakland and I identify as Black/African American. There are 14 children in my family and I’m the second youngest. I enjoyed the Buddy system when I was in elementary school and I can’t wait to now be the mentor. I lost my mom when I was three years old and I’ve always appreciated the comfort and support of older people and I would love to give some of that support back in any way I can.

Hi, my name is Max Gaylord, I use he/him pronouns, and I am a senior at PHS. As a mentor, I hope to encourage youth to explore the world, learn about the community, and to be themselves.

Hi, i’m Bruno Bañuelos (He/Him). I’m a queer 2nd generation Mexican-American of indigenous descent as well as a descendent of German immigrants. Throughout my time in Piedmont, I’ve struggled a lot with my identity. It was super difficult growing up in a school system where I often felt alienated and unvalued by teachers and curriculum, and the heteronormative and heavily white environment that dominates Piedmont schools. I wish I could’ve had the opportunity to participate in a program like Affinity Mentorship. I can’t even imagine how different my relationship with my own identity would’ve been if I could’ve had a mentor to look up to. I am a mentor now because I recognize how much it could’ve helped me and I want to be able to help other kids feel proud of who they are and be secure in their identities.

Hi, my name is Ella (she/her/hers) and I am a student at PHS. I am biracial (half Japanese, half austrian). I was raised speaking japanese at home and english in school. I went to school in Japan for kindergarten, fourth, and fifth grade, so Japan has always been a large part of my culture. In elementary school I felt like I didn’t look white enough, and in middle school I felt like I didn’t look asian enough. Growing up, I was only ever allowed to watch films or read kids books in Japanese, so it was hard to find things to talk about in school when I never understood the references my classmates were making to popular childhood media. Though I used to take being bilingual for granted, I started to understand in middle school that it was really special to have a whole second culture, and I want kids to feel that it’s okay to be part of two communities and to express them both. I want to mentor kids who might feel the need to suppress their identities to fit in, because no kid should have to feel like they have to be a certain way to be a part of a community.

My name is Julia, and I am a senior at Piedmont High School. I use she/her pronouns, and I’m really happy to be a part of this program. 

In middle school, I was outed as queer by a close friend, leading to severe bullying and deep depression. Feeling worthless and alone, I tried to end my life. Now, I'm committed to supporting others' mental health, ensuring no one feels as isolated as I did.

Hello my name is Maile. I use any and all pronouns and I currently go to Millennium high school. I was born in China, adopted into a white family, and put into a mandarin immersion school. This is where I learned to embrace my identity. It wasn’t until I joined the piedmont school district that I felt alone and different. Other kid’s innocent questions on why my eyes would disappear when I smiled made me lose my love for an important part of my identity. It wasn’t until the pandemic when I was able to rekindle my love for my asian identity again. It was so empowering seeing successful asian people being loved by so many, through k-pop, C-dramas and anime. I never want other kids to feel these negative feelings I did as a child so, I joined the Affinity Mentorship program to change the culture. 

Hey my name is Axe’ (ah-shay) or you could just call me Shay if it’s easier. I am a Junior and I attend Millennium High School. My pronouns are she/her. I was born in Redwood City but ever since then I’ve been moving from place to place until I was five and I moved into my house that I still live in today in Oakland. When I was younger my parents really didn’t have any time to teach me about my self and how to grow up in America as an African American women. Usually growing up I didn’t really know where I fit in to be honest I was always so caused with who I am. So I want to mentor kids so they could have somebody that they could relate too inside this community because it’s never okay to just feel alone. 

Hi everyone! I’m Carmen and I am a senior in Piedmont High School! I use all pronouns but I prefer the neutral ones. I’m a mentor this year because I want to be a role model for young queer and/or neurodiverse kids in our schools! 

My name is Charlotte Barretto. I am a senior at Millennium High School and my pronouns are she/her. I live in Oakland and struggle with ADHD. This is my second year with the Affinity Mentorship Program, and my goal is to help kids feel like they aren't alone in how they learn.