In this, La Tamalada: The 2020 Wrap-up Episode, the Sin Cuenta team mixes up a different "masa" for your enjoyment.  A roundtable style format seemed best to get a broad, cross-age perspective about 2020.  It was such a strange, divisive and often depressing year, but 2020 also happened to bring so many people together in new and unconventional ways.  We hope this special episode lifts our #sincuentalisteners’ collective spirits as we move into 2021. 

Sin Cuenta is joined by three special guests at different points along their respective life journeys.  Roxana "Roxy" Perez, a 17-year old high school senior from Long Beach, California; Aaron Silva, a 27 years old, who just graduated with a BA in Studio Arts from Cal State Long Beach and is Sin Cuenta's very own Resident Artist; and Dr. Ruben Diaz, Assistant Superintendent of Parlier School District, who also recently successfully completed his doctoral studies.  They each share about the people and activities that brought them joy, strength, and hope during this extraordinary and unprecedented year. 

Roxy is a bright young woman, proud to be of Mexican descent and a role model to her 13 year old brother. She is an encouraging symbol of abundant enthusiasm for learning and pushing forward in what should be her most cherished last year in high school. Her future looks utterly promising! 

Aaron brings out the unique challenges of "Zoom University" as an up and coming artist whose craft depends on authentic, hands-on experience within a creative space and having to settle instead for the much less personal and highly aseptic virtual college environment. He has nurtured joyous distractions during this difficult time and through him we see how Art and Music help lead the way out of this global crisis. 

Ruben's voice rings with wisdom, emphasizing the critical importance of courageous leadership and mentoring of our youth. He reminds leaders to speak up for the often "voiceless" communities of color.  His love for and the need to reconnect with family brings the hope we need to hold us over until we can gather with our loved ones again. 

Laura and Sal join in on this insightful conversation, generating some heartfelt expressions and playful banter, that feels like a typical cross-generational holiday kitchen table chat.  Hagan de cuenta que somos cualquier familia platicando a gusto durante una tamalada multigeneracional.  Relax and enjoy this special episode to wrap up 2020 in true Sin Cuenta style; with admiration and optimism for the good things to come in 2021! 

Happy New Year y Feliz Año Nuevo a todos!

JACK WRIGHT - From Crops to Counselling (Part 1 of 2) 

In this first of a two part episode, we meet Jack, a Kansas farm boy who grew up on his family homestead and becomes Mr. Jack Wright, an inspirational educator and both a literal and figurative bridge builder.  Mr. Wright is a retired high school college and financial aid counselor from Franklin High School, in Los Angeles, CA.  Our Co-host Sal Holguin was a member of Mr. Wright’s last graduating class of Panthers in 1992.  No introduction does Mr. Wright justice.

In Part 1, Mr. Wright takes us on a virtual auto-biographical journey, including how his family was among the first homesteaders, through the worst day of his life as a 10 year old boy, to establishing himself as a teacher and later a counselor in the 1960’s and early 70’s.  The social and equity issues of those days influence him to find that all students and their families must be treated with respect.

Thanks to his beloved high school coach, Kayo McGilvary, Jack visited, applied, and attended the Fort Hays campus of Kansas State University. We learn that on his journey, building bridges in the summer motivated Jack to do his best in college.  We hear our friend Sal connect the words he often read inscribed in Mr. Wright’s college office, “If you don’t like the smell of sweat, go to college,” to his counselor’s inspirational life story.  Well-founded and long lasting relationships are key in Jack’s success and keen ability to help others.

In Part 2, Building Bridges For Brighter Futures (Part 2 of 2), we will learn more about Mr. Wright’s relationships with former students and now well-known individuals, who helped establish and fund the Franklin Education Foundation’s endowment of now over $4 million dollars, which awards a number of annual scholarships to graduating Franklin seniors.

Sin Cuenta has commissioned a Loteria inspired card depicting Mr. Wright, supporting the iconic Franklin High School bridge, titled “El Bridge Builder.” The image evokes Mr Wright’s days of building bridges in Kansas and reminds us of all of his work to support current and future Franklin Panthers.

We hope you enjoy this episode. Esperamos que este episodio sea de su agrado.

A CLEAR Leader, Dr. Ken Magdaleno - “El Winner” (Pt. 2 of 2)

In Part 1 of his interview, Dr. Ken Magdaleno gives us an orientation into informed action through leadership. and about growing up in a small Ventura County town with angry emotions, as he opens up about losing his mother and being subjected to emotional abuse and a brief but positive foster family experience, that was difficult for him to process. His leadership journey takes him from the military to civil service, from walk-on football coach to unexpectedly becoming a teacher, guidance counselor, and school administrator.  Ken redefined himself, and restarted his college career at age 38,  Through his doctoral research the frustrating findings lead him to form the CALSA Mentoring program and others. 

In this  episode (Part 2), this now retired professor from Fresno State and CEO of the Center for Leadership Equity And Research reflects on how the mentoring programs he developed have strategically formed current educational and social justice leaders.  Among other things, these programs seek to develop role models who espouse moral values of dignity and respect.  Former CALSA mentoring proteges and succeeding CALSA Mentoring Program Directors Soccorro Shiels and Dr. Juan Santos, make a special appearance to honor Ken with palabras de corazon for their mentor and inspirational leader.  Ken beams with pride at how much they have already influenced others and will continue to do so on their journeys. 

This fan of Carlos Santana is most proud of his family and great-grandparenting.  Ken only discriminates between flour or corn tortillas depending on the dish.  Ken’s life work makes him "El Winner” who can walk through any door to face all forms of inequities, institutional and systemic racism and oppression.  Ken has mentored an army of other similar leaders and together they make an incredible difference.  

Sin Cuenta has commissioned a Loteria inspired card, titled “El Winner”, in Ken’s childhood dream image of himself as a baseball player.  Follow us on Instagram @Sincuenta_Podcast to view this memorable image created by rising artist Aaron Silva. You can find Ken Magdaleno at: www.clearvoz.com and by e-mail at [email protected]

Sin Cuenta episode one with Laura and Sal