Celebrating Women of Color in the Class of 2021

Within the last year, the COVID-19 pandemic has wrought countless hardships and heartaches, especially for people of color, with minority communities devastated by the pandemic, the Black Lives Matter protests and the increasing hate crimes against Asian Americans. For students, the pandemic has also meant a far from ideal senior year for the graduating class of 2021. 

Molly and I have been photographers for The Beacon for the last three years. We've teamed up for projects before, like our podcast 'What on Earth?', but as the pandemic derailed our senior year we knew we wanted to do something special for fellow members of our graduating class.

We were inspired by this New York Times, who featured portraits of the women of the 116th Congress and Kamala Harris, the U.S.’s first woman of color Vice President, to find a way to celebrate graduating senior women of color and all they’ve done in their time at UP. We wanted to acknowledge their unique experiences and identities as well as their accomplishments and their growth during their time on The Bluff.

Joy Macalanda (she/her/hers) 

Joy Macalanda was born and raised in Gresham, OR, a predominantly white town that contrasted heavily with the culture, food, and traditions of her parents, who are immigrants from the Philippines. Macalanda struggled with balancing both the Filipino and American parts of her identity, but over time has figured out how to reconcile these two sides of herself.

“[Taking] the best parts of both of those cultures that I was exposed to and forming my own identity has been really amazing,” Macalanda said. “And moving forward I continuously want to become more aware of what my parents were exposed to in the Philippines and their heritage, so I can integrate that into my own American identity as well.”

A lot of her life has been shaped by her work ethic, setting ambitious goals for herself, and taking advantage of the opportunities she was presented with. After four years of college, she’s recognized that it’s the smaller moments that matter and wants to focus more on her work-life balance. Through it all, Macalanda is still aiming high and working hard.

After returning from a yearlong study abroad trip in Salzburg in her sophomore year, Macalanda switched her major from marketing to economics. She currently has her sights set on following her passion in the private sector, working for a multinational company that will allow her to keep building her cultural awareness within the business world.

This year Macalanda served as president for both Delta Upsilon Sigma and Blue Key Honor Society, two organizations that reflect her values of becoming a well-rounded individual and giving back to the community. 

“All these different experiences, they've definitely provided me with new perspectives on all these different topics,” Macalanda said. “I feel like I've become a more well rounded individual, like I have a broader mindset, which I am proud of. Hopefully I just retain that self awareness, but also being empathetic and knowing where people are coming from.”

Hayden Liao (she/her/hers) 

Before she left her hometown of Scappoose, OR for college, Hayden Liao’s parents gave her a simple piece of advice — to find the joy. Today, a lot of things bring Liao joy, such as making music, spending time with her dogs, chickens and goats, and making potstickers with her family.

Liao is half white and half Chinese, and navigating a biracial identity isn’t easy. 

“In my freshman year, I really had an identity crisis about what it means to be half white and half Chinese,” Liao said. “I have a few more answers now, but I have a lot more peace, which is the important thing.”

Some of Liao’s most memorable experiences at UP have been studying abroad. She’s been on two trips, first to Salzburg for a semester and another summer trip to China. The trip to China was particularly memorable as it was an opportunity for Liao to connect with her culture, an opportunity she’ll always treasure.

“Identity is hard to define and I’ve tried really hard to define it, and I’ve decided that I don’t always have to and that it can change and that’s okay,” Liao said.

Maria Lorienes Solis (she/her/hers)

Born in Cebu, Philippines, Maria Lorienes Solis immigrated to Portland, OR when she was seven. For Solis, growing up in Portland meant trying to blend in, but when she came to UP, she was able to meet other students who shared the same background and lived experiences which helped to foster her identity and develop who she is now.

“Being a woman of color, especially on this campus, it's really revolutionary, especially since this is a predominantly white institution,” Solis said. “It's a testament to how strong we are and how resilient we are. Being a woman of color makes me really proud, especially at UP because I can show my culture and my heritage to everyone else here.”

Currently, Solis is the co-president of the Filipino American Student Association and works closely with Diversity and Inclusion Programs on campus. Through both of these leadership positions, Solis has collaborated with many other BIPOC students and has become an advocate for students of color.

“If I were to give advice to my younger self or any other young woman of color on campus, it'd be to take up your space,” Solis said. “Never be afraid to take up your space and use your voice, because your perspective on life is so unique and more people should hear it and more people should be aware of it, so don't be afraid to take up your space.” 

Chloe Mar (she/her/hers)

Relationships are really important to elementary education major Chloe Mar. Whether it’s supporting her friends in their endeavors or catching up with her family, Mar finds a lot of joy connecting with people.

Before COVID-19, Mar was involved with hall council and was a Community Assistant for Kenna Hall, two roles that helped her foster close relationships. 

“I still have a long way to go, but I feel more confident in my abilities [in] being different and to support people if I see them struggling,” said Mar. 

This also carries over into how she approaches her work as a teacher. Being part Chinese, part Hawaiian, and part Irish, Mar understands how important it is to acknowledge the unique cultures of her students in the classroom.

“It’s important to make sure that all our kids’ voices are heard in the classroom and to make sure that we're not pushing their own identity to the back,” Mar remarked. 

Heather Mar (she/her/hers) 

When psychology major Heather Mar started her freshman year at UP, it took her a while to open up to people. UP was a very different place than her hometown of Honolulu, Hawaii. But over the years, Mar has made strong friendships with the people from her dorm, Kenna Hall, and has become more confident.

“Something that I will always remember when I graduate, is just living in Kenna,” Mar said. “I feel like I've met so many people that way. When we were doing hall council things and when I was in the lobby, I feel like I was able to make a difference in the dorm culture.”

After college, Mar is looking forward to helping other kids by going back to her high school to coach the school’s air riflery team and help mentor the current students.

“I really liked the program and I felt like it helped me a lot to come out of my shell,” Mar said. “So I think that's really inspired me so what I want to do after college is be a role model for them.”

Matiana Hébert (she/her/hers) 

Growing up, biology and sociology double major Matiana Hébert struggled with her identity with both Black and Mexican heritages. But Hébert had great female role models who inspired her, like her mom and grandma, as well as her aunts, sisters and cousin and, of course, Michelle Obama. 

“You know, historically, society has never been the biggest cheerleaders for women of color,” Hébert said. “Despite all that, we still are trailblazers, and just out here, making moves! So I think to be a woman of color means to exemplify resilience and hard work. Just being beautiful and poppin’ in our melanin.”

Since she was four years old, Hébert has wanted to be a doctor. Learning about the inequalities in the healthcare system has directed her interests in healthcare towards a career that focuses on listening to, supporting and helping women and people of color get the treatment they need.

Hébert is currently a Resident Assistant for Mehling Hall, a role that has allowed her to help build the UP community. She loves working with a team of other like-minded women and seeing her residents grow and branch out.

“Representation does really matter,” Hébert said. “That's kind of the reason why I wanted to be an RA so that people could see like, we can do it, especially at a PWI (primarily white institution) like you don't really see it that often. It's really important to show others that like we can do it and there are some of us who're here, so you guys can get there too.”

Evangeline Muyano (she/her/hers) 

For mechanical engineering major Evangeline Muyano, being a woman of color has been a significant facet of her experience in the STEM field. She identifies as Filipino, Chinese and Spanish. 

“I think it's a part of who I am, and it's definitely molded me and shaped me into the person I am today,” Muyano said. “That being said, that's part of the reason why I chose to go into a STEM field, because of the lack of women in that field.”

During her time at UP, Muyano has been able to explore a variety of potential paths for a career, from electric vehicle design to artificial intelligence to design. In addition to grappling with academics, Muyano faced imposter syndrome in her engineering classes. But feeling like an outsider forced Muyano to grow a thick skin and adopt a mentality grounded in persistence.

“You have to work and be willing to work hard, and harder than others around you,” Muyano said. “ It's gonna be difficult, and there's going to be obstacles in your way at times, but if you stay passionate and stay focused on that long term goal and just, have fun, be yourself, then you'll accomplish a lot of things.”

Samantha Ishihara (she/her/hers)

Samantha Ishihara is a double major in sociology and environmental ethics and policy. Growing up in Hawaii meant Ishihara grew up around people of similar backgrounds and other people of color. Coming to UP was an opportunity to expand her views and understanding of different backgrounds and social and environmental issues.

“Knowing what's going on in the world and seeing different perspectives on different policies and ideas has really inspired me to try and make a difference in my life,” Ishihara said.

Along with growing in her knowledge and pursuing interests in climate advocacy and areas of equity and equality, Ishihara still holds her own Japanese culture close. She is eager to learn more about her culture and finds solidarity with people who share her experiences. For Ishihara, being a woman of color has helped her to look at the world through different lenses.

“Don't let how other people see you affect the way you think about yourself and the things you can do,” said Ishihara about advice she’d give to her younger self. “Just because you look a certain way doesn't mean that you can't do something.”

Emily May (she/they)

Emily May is a biology major from the small town of Aberdeen, Washington and she identifies as half Chinese, half white. When her freshman year at UP started, she was excited to be in a place with more Asian people than back home, a place where she could learn about the diversity that exists within being an Asian woman and a woman of color.

“Even though everyone is different and everyone's experience is different, it's so much less isolating when you hear, and talk with other people about their experience,” May said. 

“I've learned that I can have a complex identity, and I can fully embrace two different heritages, two different cultures, different identities, without sacrificing one. And it's not about how others perceive me. It's how I understand myself, how I identify and how I feel connected to my culture.”

In her time at UP, May has similarly embraced her many academic interests, completing four minors (psychology, Spanish, theology, and chemistry) in addition to her biology major. One of her favorite parts of UP has been working as a writing assistant in the Leaning Commons and being a chemistry workshop leader, two roles that allowed her to meet and help many students.

“When I get to see women of color in positions of leadership, it's really inspiring because even though a lot of these systems weren't built for people like me, it's really exciting to see women of color make their way anyway, and make a place for themselves,” May noted. “It feels like I can do that for myself too.”

Alysha Naone (she/her/hers)

Environmental science major Alysha Naone may be the youngest in her immediate family, but she has many younger cousins and nieces that look up to her back home in Hawaii.

For Naone, being a woman of color of both Filipino and Native Hawaiian ancestry means setting a good example for her younger family members, to remind them that they can be their own leader and set their own path. 

“I find a lot of strength in my faith and strength in my family and my friends, those who I hold dear,” Naone said. 

Naone treasures the many opportunities she’s had at UP to expand her knowledge on topics like systemic racism and hear from many different perspectives.

“It's okay to branch out and discover new things,” Naone said about what advice she’d give to her younger self. “You're worth so much more, you can do so many things. You'll be proud of your future self.”

Samantha Dela Cruz (she/her/hers)

For nursing major Samantha Dela Cruz, being a woman of color means representing her family and her people and being a leader wherever she goes. It’s something she is proud of. While her Filipino heritage has always been with her, coming to UP and being away from her home and her family made Dela Cruz realize that she had the opportunity to discover who she was for herself.

“There's so much that I've gone through throughout my years at UP to help me figure out that I'm proud to be who I am and I shouldn't be ashamed of who I am because being the person I am, I do have a voice and I'm important in making change,” Dela Cruz said. 

Studying abroad in London was one of the defining moments of her college experience. Looking back on her time spent on the other side of the world, Dela Cruz reflected on how she grew more confident and independent, both from taking advantage of new opportunities and also from experiencing microaggressions. 

“At the end of the day you have yourself, and you have your people that love you,” Dela Cruz said. “So as long as you have that good foundation within yourself, there's really nothing that can stop you.”

Ashley Kim (she/her/hers)

Math major Ashley Kim has called many places home — China, Guam, Alaska, Hawaii, and most recently Oregon. For Kim, who identifies as Korean American, home is wherever she feels comfortable and wherever her mom is.

“I'll probably call Hawaii my home as of right now, even though I lived there the shortest, out of everywhere I've lived,” Kim said. “That is where I connect to the most, with those ideals of what I want to pursue so that's what I want to call home and that's where I want to return to.”

A strong sense of genuine community is one of the things Kim really values. Before the pandemic, you could probably find her in Mack’s Market where she started working after freshman year. Mack’s Market offered Kim a collaborative and fun work environment where she made a lot of friends and got involved in the UP community. 

Kim hopes to work for or start her own company that prioritizes people of minority backgrounds and gives them opportunities to network and fulfill their goals. In the future, Kim hopes to see a more genuine effort towards encouraging diversity in the workplace.

“A part of me feels like it's unfair that we have to go out to high leadership positions to have this type of voice in our community, but hopefully we could change that with our leadership,” Kim said.

Emma Castillo-Gonzalez (she/her/ella)

Emma Castillo-Gonzalez is a biology major with minors in Spanish and sociology and is of a mixed ethnic background — her mom is Bolivian and her dad is Mexican. Castillo-Gonzalez is proud of her mixed Latinx heritage, a part of her identity that was never hidden from her. 

“Sometimes it can be hard to embrace, in the United States,” Castillo-Gonzalez said. “Because everybody wants you to just adapt and become, you know, an American, whatever that means.” 

At UP, Castillo-Gonzalez found validation, encouragement, and inspiration within the communities she joined and friendships she formed. Other women of color pushed her to get more involved and pursue leadership positions across campus. 

“Prior to coming to college, I would get nervous about speaking up on certain issues and certain things I was feeling, but since then I feel like I've been able to find community here [where] we're able to encourage each other to use our voices and individually,” said Castillo-Gonzalez. “I feel like I've grown, because I feel like now I'm a little more comfortable speaking up about issues that are important to me.”

Castillo-Gonzalez is now in her second year of working as a Resident Assistant for Mehling Hall. She’s also the co-Vice President of Latinx Student Union, a student organization she joined in her freshman year and the Vice President of the Women of Color Club, a club that’s only two years old and steadily growing. Castillo-Gonzalez is proud of how she’s helped to continue the growth of the Women of Color Club.

Knowing the empowerment of encouragement and involvement, Castillo-Gonzalez wants to pay it forward. “That's all I want to do — I just want to empower other people that are women of color to use their voices and to take up new opportunities, especially leadership positions,” Castillo-Gonzalez said.

Joslin Torres (she/her/hers)

Political science major Joslin Torres is from Nampa, Idaho and identifies as Mexican. When she thinks about being a woman of color, she thinks about her family, especially her mom, grandma and sister and how she is the first person in her family to go to college.

“Reach out to other people and other clubs on campus, kind of expand your viewpoint,” said Torres about advice she’d offer to her younger self. “It's so different from being back home with my friends who were also Mexican and so finding clubs or people that you can relate to is really important too.”

At UP, she has explored her interests and pushed herself to try new things. In her sophomore year, Torres studied abroad for a year in Salzburg, Austria. On campus, she’s worked a variety of jobs, from serving in the commons to assisting the marketing department and now writing stories for The Beacon as a sports reporter. 

“Now I'm just kind of in a place where I want to be back with my family, and get through school, my mental health is really good and figure out what I want for myself and out of life and trying to realize that everyone moves at their own pace, and just not being stressed about that,” Torres said.

Chloe Gan (she/her/hers) 

Chloe Gan is a mechanical engineering major from the small rural town of Ocean View, Hawaii. Gan is the first person in her family to go to college, and their support even while she’s far from home continues to strengthen and inspire her. 

“I think it's important to recognize that it's okay that you're in an uncomfortable position but you have to embrace that [discomfort] and just strive to be proud of who you are,” Gan said.

One of her favorite parts of UP has been her involvement in the Robotics Club, which she is now the president of. Through the Robotics Club, she’s participated in the NASA Robotic Mining Competition and had unique physical experience with the engineering process. 

Looking to the future, Gan wants to be a leader for engineering projects and she hopes all women of color are able to aim for any career they want.

“There's this mindset where a lot of times, certain positions are unattainable,” Gan said.  “I think that we're always trying to compare ourselves to our counterparts but if we aspire to those same positions and focus on ourselves, I think that's a way we can achieve those things and kind of set ourselves apart from them.”

Emily Hosoume (she/her/hers)

Emily Hosoume is an environmental science major from Sacramento, CA. Hosoume is the treasurer for the Ecology Club and in 2019, she helped to mobilize UP students to participate in the climate strike in downtown Portland, one of many events around the world on the same day. 

“Even though we're just this small campus, we all have a bigger role to play in our climate crisis that we're currently facing,” Hosoume said of what it meant to get students involved in the bigger movement. 

Since then, she’s taken an interest in environmental justice and community engagement around the climate crisis. In her time at UP, Hosoume, a woman of Japanese descent, has also found community with other women of color, from the women in her family to professors to the friends she’s made.

“[Being a woman of color means] taking up the space that we deserve, because I feel like a lot of times women of color like as we grow up we're taught to just like conform and like mold to others,” Hosoume said. “But more recently I realized I should be able to take up the space that I think I'm allowed.”

Mireya Leilani Esparza Sanders (she/her/ella)

Mireya Leilani Esparza Sanders has a unique name. It encompasses her multicultural identity as part Filipino, part Mexican, and part white. But learning how to be comfortable in her own skin hasn’t been a straightforward journey.

“Over the past couple of years I was really having an identity crisis where I felt like I wasn't Filipino enough, I wasn't Mexican enough because I don't look like your average Filipino or Mexican,” Sanders said.

But now talking about her identity, Sanders exudes confidence and a sense of maturity. 

“I know who I am, and the people who love me and truly care about me know who I am and they know what I value,” Sanders said. “They support me every step of the way, and people who really matter and people who do respect me as the woman of color that I am won't have an issue with it. They'll try to pronounce my name.”

In her time at UP, Sanders said she has become more assertive when it comes to both embracing her identity and as a professional. As a senior business major with an internship requirement to fulfill in the midst of COVID-19, she created her own internship with the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations and planned the Pilots Fun Run event.

“Freshman year I was always asking for permission,” Sanders said. “And now I recognize the strengths that I have and I'm playing to them.”

Striesand Galdones (she/her/hers)

Biology major and chemistry minor Striesand Galdones is the only daughter to Filipino parents. Galdones stays connected to her culture by visiting her family in the Philippines and trying to speak the language.

“It was very important for me to really understand where I came from, where my parents came from especially because my life compared to theirs is very different,” Galdones said. “They really taught me to be proud of where I come from, because not a lot of people know about their backgrounds nowadays.”

When she left home in Hilo, HI, and came to the mainland for college, Gladones realized that she could make her own way. 

“Whenever I look back, I feel like I haven’t changed, but whenever I go back home or see family or friends, they realize that I've grown in many aspects, like being independent,” Galdones said.

Galdones hopes that women of color will continue to be heard and taken seriously, despite systemic obstacles that stand in their way.

“I was just like, yes, finally!” said Galdones about Kamala Harris being the first woman of color Vice President. “And it just made me feel joy, that women are being more seen, especially women of color, and they're able to overcome the obstacles of racism and sexism. So I'm just glad to see it happening, even though it's just beginning, it's not the end yet.”

Jennifer Ng (she/her/hers)

I grew up in San Francisco, California and I will be forever grateful for growing up in a big urban city where I was never made to feel like the odd one out because of my race. But I haven’t always embraced my heritage either, being half Chinese and half Japanese. I didn’t know that having pride for one’s racial identity was a thing.

But like the many incredible women in this piece, I’ve learned how to see my ethnicity as a strength and point of pride. At UP, I’ve discovered the community that I belong to as a woman of color and I’ve seen this part of my identity sets me apart in ways that are uplifting. Now I see my ethnicity as something I’d rather share with the world than hide.

I’m constantly inspired by the women around me and their interests, by their passions and the ways they embody their values. I believe that people of color have compelling stories to share and that deserve to be heard by every audience. This piece is just a glimpse into the wonderful, diverse world of who women of color are, who they can be, and what they can accomplish when we make the time and space to uplift them and give them the spotlight.

Jennifer Ng is the Opinion editor and a photographer for The Beacon. She can be reached at ng21@up.edu.

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