Dublin High School’s SWENext club, a group founded to empower minorities in STEM, recently hosted a guest speaker event with CreatorsCircle, a startup organization dedicated to environmental sustainability. At the presentation, CEO Nayelli Gonzalez provided insight into her education and how it set her on this career path. Moreover, she addressed how high schoolers can take action right now and discover their passions.

CreatorsCircle is a resource hub designed to work with high school students and teach them about sustainable professions that focus on making positive impacts in their communities. One of CreatorsCircle’s key focuses is promoting diversity. “We want to emphasize that living a life of purpose should be considered a right, not a privilege,” Gonzalez shared. Consequently, her organization provides high schools, particularly those that are considered marginalized, with free resources including workshops, a summer fellowship program, and an online database of award opportunities. 

Gonzalez traced this altruistic career path back to her college experience. Initially, she had wanted to pursue history, and earned a master’s degree in history and education at Stanford University to this end. Afterwards, she secured her first job as a teacher in a startup charter school that focused on combining media, arts, and technology with progressive education—the origins of her community-focused career. Prior to working at an environmental law firm, she also taught a course on how to start a nonprofit. Ultimately, she began working at a sustainability consulting firm. “I’ve had the opportunity to work in not only different industries and roles, but in different capacities. This has allowed me to get a big picture view of things and determine the right strategy for an organization,” Gonzalez explained.

For Gonzalez, a critical component of her career interest is passion. She emphasized the importance of this with a journaling activity she led at the speaker event. “What do you value most in your life?” she asked her audience. “It can be an idea, a feeling.” After brainstorming for two minutes, participants had a full list of their thoughts and ambitions. “Whatever it is that you value the most, let that be your guide to make decisions around where you go to college, what you study, what kind of jobs to pursue. It shouldn’t be what your peers say or what society says because, ultimately, this is your life.”

As of recently, Gonzalez has been learning more about the value of self care—a value she likewise promoted to her Dublin High audience. “Another thing I’ve discovered in various social circles is that well-being is something that should be prioritized. I know so many people in tech and other fields that get burnt out. Early on, ask yourself how you can have all these wonderful ambitions while also taking care of yourself.” She went on to share that yoga and meditation are some of her favorite ways to stay grounded amid an overwhelming workload. “Don’t be afraid to fail,” Gonzalez said with a final word of advice to her audience.

Gonzalez’s advice becomes particularly applicable for Dublin High students with summer fast approaching, when many students find themselves busily searching for job and internship experience. By adopting the open-minded approach that Gonzalez champions, high schoolers can learn so much from their few valuable years of school.