My name is Ixarely. I’m 13-years-old and in eighth grade at Bedford Stuyvesant Collegiate Charter School. This is my second year here and my grades have really improved. I love traveling and having time to myself. For example, last fall I got to visit Las Vegas and when I’m older I want to go to Paris, France. I also love my friends. They make school interesting.

My mom immigrated to America from Mexico about twenty years ago. I have learned many things from my family and culture. For example, I’ve always known how to speak Spanish, but this summer my mom also taught me how to write in Spanish. If I ever get the opportunity to go to college, I would like to study law or medicine. My favorite book is The Bodyguard because romantic books like it are my favorites. My hero is Elvia Carrrillo Puerto. She is a Mexican socialist politician and feminist. She worked hard to ensure Mexican women gained the right to vote.

My favorite civil rights quote is “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that.” Even though there are bad times, the only way to makes thing better is by trying to solve them with positivity. We must add more good, not bad, to a situation.

BK2BAMA is a program that allows students to grow their academically by studying Black history and the Civil Rights Movement. I joined BK2BAMA to expand my knowledge of history. This spring my classmates and I will travel to Alabama and Georgia with BK2BAMA to visit sites from the Civil Rights Movement and meet with activists. I'm excited about every part of the trip, but really can’t wait to visit HBCUs and Spelman in particular.