Fresh New Faces

Hello everyone! Our names are Tracy Chacon and Cheyenne Saiz. We are new additions to SWOP's famila, as the Year-Long Interns. We are currently working on the Campaign for a Better New Mexico. In the next year, we will be working on the Take Control Campaign where we left off this past summer. So you can get to know us a little better, here is a little about ourselves.

Well to start off, my name is Cheyenne, I'm 15 years old, and I just started a new school called El Camino Real Academy. It's pretty different, because first off, it is a charter school, and secondly, it's actually a big picture school, and we learn through internships. I was born and raised in the South Valley. Take it from me, I have been through a lot. For example, not being treated equally or even just looked down, because I don't live up to the "standards' that society has placed upon communities. I have been targeted by the military, just because I am a youth of color and I want to do something to stop it.

That is why I was so excited when I heard about SWOP and their Take Control Campaign. The first time I got involved with SWOP was through the guitar classes. While I was there, I heard they had an opening for the summer internship. So of course, I applied and got the job. I believe that youth should not be targeted for the color of their skin, nor should the military have open access to your private information without your consent. During the summer, I worked on the Take Control Campaign, by informing youth about the other side of the military and encouraging them to opt-out. My next step was applying to become a yearlong intern, in hopes of getting New Mexico's voice heard through CBNM, also, to continue working on the TCC. I am so glad I got involved with SWOP, because SWOP wants NM's voice to be heard, as I do, and for the youth to be treated as equals.

Hi everyone, my name is Tracy. I recently just started to go to UNM and so far, I love it. It definitely is a new experience for me, but I’m up for the challenge. I have always been a really passionate person, because when I was a kid, things were kind of hard. My mom worked 18 hours a day to take care of my three brothers, and me so I never really saw her. Everyday was a struggle trying to get food on he table. “No matter what anybody says,” my mom always told me, “we have to fight for what we think is right.”

For the next year here at SWOP, my main focus of work will be around Highland High School. I will be working with the students and teachers through workshops around the Take Control Campaign. I am very excited to be a part of the SWOP family. The work I do is very important to me, because everyone has a voice, and they deserve to be heard.

Hopefully, you learned a little bit about us, and if you want to give us some information about you, don’t be afraid to come on by and tell us.