I’ve really enjoyed my time at Barrio Logan College Institute (BLCI). BLCI is very rooted in its community; volunteering there made me feel more in touch with and welcomed by San Diego, specifically Barrio Logan. This theme also extended into my oral history. My interviewee, Jackie, is a high school senior who is very involved in her school, BLCI, and SDUSD. Hearing about her experiences allowed me to understand her and, by proxy, her community better. Jackie had a lot of intentionality behind her involvement. Her passion and care for others was incredibly evident in her interview and the way she spoke about her commitments. Jackie was also able to eloquently identify critiques of systems, particularly educational systems, while retaining a hopeful, student-centered outlook to creating change. I saw in her a reflection of what BLCI stands and works for. This match in value systems helps me to understand why she spoke so highly of BLCI and her experience there.
Jackie and I found many commonalities between us. My sister, also named Jackie, is attending UC Berkeley, where my interviewee Jackie will be attending in the fall. Jackie attended and her mom works at the school where I am currently volunteering. Being able to bond over these and other things helped make the oral history interview feel more personal, like a conversation with a friend rather than an interrogation. This did result in many tangents in our interview and a few interruptions. However, it made me feel more at ease as an interviewer and I hope it was the same for Jackie. I feel that I was able to truly connect with Jackie and create an enjoyable interview experience.
