First published in the June 2 print issue of the Pasadena Outlook.
Pasadena High School senior Miguel Roybal Monzo is headed to the University of California, Berkeley, this fall, and plans to major in sociology and political science. The student delivered an inspirational speech at the Pasadena Unified School District’s State of Schools event on May 17.
Monzo is a “progressive Latine advocate for civil rights, critical pedagogy and restorative justice in and out of the classroom.” A musician who plays guitar and piano and writes original music, while also composing a bright future.
Monzo is a founding member of PUSD’s Think Tank, a diverse collective of high school students from across the district who tackle issues related to equity, mental health and curriculum.
Monzo has attended PUSD schools from kindergarten thought 12th grade and was in the first kindergarten class that launched the district’s Spanish dual-language immersion program at San Rafael Elementary.
Monzo then moved on to Blair Middle School, and to Pasadena High School’s Law and Public Service Academy.
Monzo said, “PUSD provides students with the resources to interact with, make friends with and have essential discussions with students from different racial backgrounds, ethnic identities, sexual orientations, gender identities and socioeconomic backgrounds.”
However, more needs to be done to make PUSD everything it can be for the “next generation of thinkers, the next generation of advocates, the next generation of PUSD students.”
Monzo looks forward to attending Berkeley in the fall and eventually becoming a civil rights attorney.
