In today’s episode I had the opportunity to talk to a very bright and inspiring young lady who now lives in New York but is originally from Calexico, my guest today is Darlene Barballianiz Boggs. She is currently in New York working as a paralegal for the ACLU, but her journey there has been long and relatable to a lot of young people from Calexico or the Imperial Valley. Darlene, like many of us who grew up in the valley, especially in Calexico, spent a lot of her time going back and forth from Calexico to Mexicali. For most of her childhood, Darlene was raised by her single mom, who put herself through college and was able to start her own small business. Seeing her mom help our local farmworkers with their taxes is where she realized how sometimes the injustices our local farmworkers face are desensitized for our local community because we see it happen every day and see it as a normal thing. Going to college was not something that wasn’t instilled in Darlene by her mom, like many of us who grew up with low-income housing, but for her not going to college was out of the question. Like most of us here in the valley, Darlene is an IVC alum, after IVC she had her mindset on going out to UC Berkeley despite the fact that one of her counselors had told her not to set her standards too high. She eventually did end up at UC Berkeley, the people she met here and some of the classes she was encouraged to take while at Berkeley is where she found an interest in anthropology which then led to her interest in law. After working for a couple of law firms Darlene decided to take a break and at the same time, she decided to fulfill one of her dreams and move to New York City. In the process of moving she saw an opening with the ALCU and decided to apply, she didn’t think she would get the position especially after doing her 2nd interview hours after landing in New York City with just a few hours of sleep. She thinks that the fact that she grew up in Calexico was key in her getting her position. Listen to our almost hour-long conversation on Anchor, Spotify, Google Podcast, and Apple Podcast. Watch this and the rest of the episodes on our YouTube channel! Follow Darlene on Instagram! Shout out to our friends at Calexico Brewing Company. Shout out to our Anchor sponsors Camilo, Sergio, David, Jake, Dylan, DentsOnBorder, and Sergio’s Tacos! Click HERE to read the Calexico Chronicle Article on Darlene.
Listen to Que Pasa Calexico Podcast!! Find all episodes on Anchor, Spotify, Google Podcast, and Apple Podcast. You may also watch this and all my episodes of Que Pasa Calexico!! on my YouTube Channel.
- Follow us on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/quepasacalexico/
- Follow us on Facebook! http://bit.ly/2AljpUQ
- Follow us on Instagram! http://bit.ly/31l34ve
- Follow us on Twitter! http://bit.ly/2ZTMdlL
This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to Make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Become a Supporter
If you like to stay informed about our community and like to stay in touch with some of the most influential Imperial Valley personalities. Please, support this podcast with a small monthly donation to help sustain future episodes.
brawley Calexico Calexico City Council Calexico High School Calexico Podcast calexico rotary club Calexico Unified School District cancer resource center of the desert chiquita vaquita COVID-19 Education El Centro El Honcho george marquez gisel barrett haydee yañes heber holtville IID imperial Imperial County Behavioral Health Services Imperial Valley independent authors jimmy dorantes jose alejos let's talk about it Mark Beltran mental health Mexicali niños book fest nurse amy corrales off the grid Podcast en Español que pasa calexico Que Pasa Calexico! que pasa calexico podcast Ramon Castro Raul Urena rotarians scott dudley sweet orange sweet orange band tomas oliva vanessa kilps yomar aguilar