DANIELA

“I am now a stronger individual prepared to confront anything that comes my way.”

“The whole experience has made me realize how precious time is and that at any one moment, a life can change drastically; mine did. I enjoy life as much as I can, living in the present and cherishing the parts of my life that are still intact.”

AHO Youth Ambassador, AHO Youth Task Force Team – Daniela graduated from San Diego State University after a year long internship at Bologna University in Italy. Although she has never been homeless, her personal loss of a parent at a young age has drawn her to helping youth without families. This is her story – in her own words. Nostalgia fills the car every Thursday evening, as my dad and I drive up Tiburon Boulevard to Café Acri. Each street we pass represents a significant chapter of my life and a house where I once lived. These houses hold important memories and experiences that shaped the person I am today; whether it was the house I was born in, grew up in, or lost my mother in. These segments of my life intersect this one long snake-like boulevard, which parallels the stunning view of the San Francisco Bay. As the first stoplight turns red and my dad brakes, I glance to my left down Blackfield Drive, and a cloud of memories shadows my mind as I remember the little light-pink house where I lived when I was four years old. Every morning, my mom and I would drive over the fog-encompassed Golden Gate Bridge in her rusty red Mazda, listening to smooth jazz on the radio. She owned a clothing shop on Union Street called Coco’s Italian Dreams and there I flourished in my childhood, interacting with her diverse customers from San Franciscans to world travelers. This exposure to people of all ages and cultures was extremely beneficial to my growth and maturity, making me aware of the world outside of my perfect little town, Tiburon. My mom befriended everyone who walked in her store, inspiring me to be a sociable and extroverted person. Watching her, I learned not to judge others because of cultural differences, but to respect and embrace diversity. Being connected to so many people through my mom gave me a feeling of belonging in this complex, large, yet small-intertwined world. This world that I once belonged to quickly evaporates, as do this street’s memories, when the light turns green. My dad slowly accelerates up the boulevard. To the left, up the steepest hill of my life is the house that carries the most vivid memory of my childhood. It feels like just yesterday that I was lying on the couch in the living room, while my dad was sitting across the room when the phone rang. My mom and sister had driven to Oregon earlier that day to display the shop’s clothing in a trade show. My sister was on the phone, and some unexplainable feeling rose inside of me. I knew what had happened and my dad’s silence confirmed my initial thought. My mom and sister were in a car accident. My sister was badly injured with shattered glass in her right hand and left shoulder, but my mom did not survive the crash. Many emotions rushed through me, yet I was calm. The impact on me was profound; I was six years old and never knew what it would be like to have someone so powerful in my life disappear in an instant. The whole experience has made me realize how precious time is and that at any one moment, a life can change drastically; mine did. I enjoy life as much as I can, living in the present and cherishing the parts of my life that are still intact. After surviving my mother’s death, I now know that I’m ready to tackle any new situation that faces me. This memory fades just as we proceed through the crossroad. We pass a third street where my most sacred house sits; the house where I was born and where my father delivered me. This is the root to my existence and the chain to my unbreakable bond with my dad. Our relationship has strengthened through our hardships, and our support for each other is unwavering. The challenges we faced forced our bond to tighten and no matter what happens, we find ways to adjust and move forward in life. Through my challenging experiences, I am now a stronger individual prepared to confront anything that comes my way. As we reach our destination and enter the Italian café, I am home, again exposed to diverse people telling stories and sharing their culture and experiences, whether they are from the Italian wineries my dad works with or the Tiburon locals who are natives of France, Austria, or Sweden. Though my hometown is small, diversity floods its streets, sparking my individuality and teaching me to adapt to any foreign environment I enter. Today I am a graduate in International Relations from UC San Diego, where I spent a year in Bologna, Italy studying. Today I work and live in Italy and am so grateful for my time with AHO and all the exciting youth-led events and projects I participated in which included many Car Washes for a Cause, the Festival for a Cause, AHO Youth Podcasts, Youth Connect and the Youth Concert Fundraiser. I even had the opportunity to edit one of AHO’s documentary films. AHO gave me so many amazing leadership opportunities to give back which no other organization provides. AHO sees each youth’s unique gifts and provides opportunities where they can share them with the community and the world. [Return to Youth Stories]