Marina Marmolejo ’09

After graduating from MJS and Mayfield Senior, I went to college at LMU. As part of an undergraduate class on homelessness and health, I spent four days on the streets of Skid Row in Los Angeles. Even though I had the privilege of knowing that I would soon return to my own bed and social circle, the experience of street-based homelessness is something I will never forget. This brief attempt to experience street-based living and adapt to the survival mentality opened my eyes to the compounding stressors of homelessness. The entire experience ignited a deep sense of curiosity and soon after I decided to dedicate my academic and professional career to fighting systemic factors of chronic homelessness.

I went on to Yale and recently graduated with my Master’s degree in Public Health, Social and Behavioral Sciences. Using my internship experience and entrepreneurial vision to focus on homeless youth (ages 15-28), in 2018 I co-founded the nonprofit DreamKit and began developing the DreamKitApp. DreamKit is a web-based app that creates partnerships among youth experiencing homelessness and their local businesses, service providers, community residents and local stakeholders to end youth homelessness in urban cities, starting with New Haven. Youth earn points on the app by utilizing resources at existing homeless agencies (i.e. case management, education and employment classes, etc). Those points can be redeemed for immediate needs, such as food, a haircut or even clothes for an interview.

That’s a toss-up between Blue & White Day and the Harvest Festival. I love celebrating, it’s in my genes and these two days were a great opportunity to bond with classmates and just celebrate life and friendships. Plus, the competitive edge of Blue & White Day was also a bonus. I loved the years when my team won. I can still remember screaming frantically and jumping up and down when the winners were announced on the PA system.

The world is so much bigger than Pasadena. Make sure in whatever field you decide to study or whichever career you choose, remember that receiving a privileged education at Mayfield Junior comes with responsibilities and it is our responsibility to make the world a better place. Don’t get trapped in the “Pasadena bubble” forever because there are so many disparities in our world (i.e. health, economic, and social) that future generations need to address. Learning about principles like the “Golden Rule” and social justice at such a young age at MJS helped dramatically shape me into the advocate I am today.

Treat others how you want to be treated.

If you could go back to MJS, what grade would you do over again and why?