Jorge Savala
Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks
Santa Cruz, CA USA
"Just because you are from somewhere doesn’t mean that you have to be one of those statistics. Don’t assimilate, be who you want to be."
Career Roadmap
Jorge's work combines: Non-Profit Organizations, Environment & Nature, and Upholding a Cause and Belief
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
Volunteer and connect with others. Building relationships is crucial to moving social justice issues forward or building programs with other non-profits.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Associate's Degree
Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling
Cabrillo College
Certification
Computer/Computer Systems Technology/Technician
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Community Outreach Director :
Bachelor's Degree: Public Health, General
Graduate Degree: Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling
Doctorate: Community Psychology
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
Both of my parents are immigrants from Mexico—they met while working as migrant farmworkers in California and I grew up living in one of these migrant farm labor camps.
2.
My mother won a lawsuit against the owner of the migrant camp due to the unfit living conditions and our family was able to move to a rural area of Santa Cruz, California.
3.
In high school, I became active in protest movements and advocating for various causes, which was my first introduction to social justice and making a difference.
4.
I started attending Cabrillo College, but had to drop out when my parents lost their jobs so that I could help support them.
5.
Got my certification in computer repair and simultaneously started working as a student services coordinator—by the time I was 21, I had become the director of two computer training schools.
6.
Moved to Florida for a few years and worked as a career coach and job placement specialist for a welfare transition organization.
7.
After moving back to Santa Cruz, I started getting more involved in community development and even helped start a human services campaign in the neighborhood I grew up in.
8.
I am now the community outreach director for the Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
You aren't good enough.
How I responded:
The noise doesn't stop. Surround yourself with like-minded people striving to make a difference in the world like you! It was difficult saying goodbye to "friends" that would constantly bring me down or divert me from my goals. It is up to you as a person to put yourself out there. Every break I have had in life was because I volunteered. Everything is possible with God but you also need to put in work.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
My family were migrant farmworkers so we didn't have a lot of money. I grew up in migrant camps and later lived in rural, low-income areas.
There was a lot of violence and gang activity in my neighborhood growing up. I got jumped a lot. In high school, I lost a lot of friends to this same violence and drug problems.
I struggled in high school, but I was determined to be the first in my family to graduate from a regular high school and go to college.
My parents are both immigrants from Mexico that worked as migrant farm workers. I grew up living in migrant farm labor camps.
Spanish was my first language and when I started going to school I struggled with learning English and was made fun of a lot. I didn't have anybody in my family who could help me. I felt like I had to lose my Spanish in order to fit in.