Elexia San Nicolas
I helped create the #DiversityIsOurStrength project, working on Development (Lead).
My Family History
My dad, moved to Iowa in July of 2002 from Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands (where I was born) to establish a steady income and provide for four children, still in Saipan. He initially worked for the direct-sales PC company, Gateway Inc., in Sioux City, as a customer service representative, and we joined him in November 2002. When Gateway shut down in 2004, my dad scrambled and landed a job at Rent-A-Center, where he worked his way up to management. His job meant that my family traveled a lot during my childhood, so he decided to move to Quest, starting from the bottom again as a customer service representative. Meanwhile, my mom initially worked for our local Casey’s gas station. Eventually, both my parents found work at the Sioux Gateway Airport transporting luggage bags, which led to years of physical stress, late nights, and early mornings at the airport. My dad began fueling smaller planes for JetSun Aviation right next to the airport, and my mom became a bank teller at 1st Financial Bank. She has worked there ever since. My dad worked for a little while at a local mechanic shop before finding his current job in the geotechnical engineering field. He has been a driller for Certified Testing Solutions in Sioux City since 2013.
Living in Iowa
I have always wondered what my life would be like if I was raised in Saipan. How my identity would alter. My parents sacrificed a lot for my siblings and I to have a jump start economically and educationally by moving to Iowa. For that, I am thankful for my parents! Being raised in Iowa has made me appreciate the steady pace of life, but also realize what my true roots are as a Pacific Islander.
My Dreams
I excel at being persistent, motivating myself and others, helping others, and educating myself in new programming languages and design applications. I intend to become a professional web developer.
A Teacher Who Changed My Life
Mrs. Kelly Heaton, Web Design teacher, Sioux City East High School. Mrs. Heaton was originally a sports management teacher, but took on the challenge of fulfilling the Web Design course. I ultimately taught myself how to code in her class with CodeAcademy. It was then that I knew web design was for me, because I found it so rewarding. Mrs. Heaton encouraged independent learning and gave me the space to do so. Her class changed my life.
My Favorite Thing
My dad’s construction safety cap represents all of the hard-working blue-collared men and women who live in Iowa.
What #DIVERSITYISOURSTRENGTH means to me
DiversityIsOurStrength is much more than a project, it’s a movement. Understanding those who have been in my shoes as an underrepresented and marginalized individual is why this project is important to me. Shining light and moving past negative stereotypes within our community is us giving back to those who cannot speak up for themselves due to racial inequalities. This project is representing history in an art form from photography, wheat pasting, writing, graphic and web design. The creation of DiversityIsOurStrength is a project that will stay true to my heart and hopefully those in our community.
