The Arc of Leadership - 2nd in a Series
Written by Tim Buckley, August 2024
Katherine "Destiny" Aguilar
Katherine “Destiny” Aguilar was about five years old when her mom first took her to a parenting class offered free at Salem Keizer Coalition for Equality. That’s when she met Eduardo Angulo, the teacher, who also co-founded and ran the nonprofit.
Destiny’s mom, Maricela Lagos, quickly evolved from student to volunteer at the Coalition, helping Eduardo deliver programs to strengthen families and enhance children's education. Now, Maricela is part of the Coalition’s staff of 18, heading the Parent Organizing Project and coordinating the Strong Families program. Meanwhile, the modeling Maricela has done for her children has taken root in Destiny.
“Both my mom and dad are strong advocates of a good education,” Destiny said. “All the years that she brought me along with her to the Coalition, I was learning from her and from Eduardo. I loved going there with her. As I got older, I began helping out after school with childcare and mentoring. I thought at the time I wanted to grow up to be a teacher.”
What does this have to do with CBEL? Well, Eduardo, the full-time Neighborhood Family Council Director for CBEL, was looking for staff to run this summer’s Fun Fridays, while also bringing on two new neighborhoods to the program. Eduardo learned that Destiny was looking for a summer job. “I was very nervous at first,” Destiny said. “Many times, I would find myself alone, responsible for getting part of an event ready as Eduardo and the other coordinator, Darian Owens, were working elsewhere. I started to freeze up for fear of making a mistake. But two things would always happen,” Destiny added. “Volunteers would show up and ask what they could do to help, and then my mindset would change. Instead of saying ‘How can I possibly do this alone?’, my inner voice would realize, ‘You’re not alone’, and then I’d relax. Together we always figured it out.”
Eduardo had watched Destiny grow up and thought she would be perfect for the job. “With her intelligence and drive, she can do pretty much whatever she wants in her life,” he said. When asked about her middle name, Destiny said her parents called her that from an early age. She added, “They said it has something to do with having faith in possibilities. My parents were friends growing up in the same village, but my dad moved to the US in his teens to work. They thought they’d never see one another again. But my mom moved to the US as a young adult, and their paths crossed once again.”
Raising two boys and Destiny, Ruben and Maricela aren’t able to contribute much money for her college years. “But they have forever supported me and have been there for me every step of the way,” she added. That includes helping her develop her own wings.
“The time I spent with my mom when she was taking classes or volunteering at the Coalition was a big influence on my love of knowledge,” Destiny said. “My parents pushed me hard to do well in school, saying that scholarships could pay for more education.”
Of the hundreds who applied, Destiny was one of only 64 applicants to be accepted as a freshman in the School District’s Early College High School program. In 2020 and 2021, she attended via computer from home, because Covid made in-person learning impossible. Her final two years, taking college classes, she spent on the campus of Chemeketa Community College. The program was so tough that half of the students dropped out. Destiny made it through, graduating at the head of her class and named Salutatorian. She was awarded a full academic scholarship at Oregon Institute of Technology, where she again earned top grades in her first year, and then won another scholarship to attend Linfield University. This month, she started nursing school and said she may be able to finish the program in three years, with next to no student loan debt!
Destiny with Darian Owens at the Hallman-Northgate 2024 Fun Friday
Organizing three events on three Fridays in July was nothing like school, however. With very little orientation and training, Destiny was handed massive responsibilities and expected to do it without a lot of explanation. “Eduardo and Darian were very helpful,” she said, “but there was so much to be done. I really had to put myself out there, which is hard, but I gained a lot of confidence doing it,” she said.
More than 1600 people attended this year’s Fun Fridays, all of whom were provided beverages and a great meal. The grounds were decorated ahead of time like a festival, and about 50 nonprofit resource organizations showed up needing tables, chairs, instruction and set up assistance.
Asked what were the highlights of her work with CBEL, Destiny said it was the effect of Fun Fridays on families. “They were a safe place for kids to run around with each other without parents worrying about it,” she said. “So, Fun Fridays were a place for moms, especially, to relax. So many told me how grateful they were to have that time to relax, to have a meal with friends, to meet new friends, and to laugh.”
As she was preparing to leave for college, she also said that her younger brother has been increasingly interested in education too. “He is just going into high school,” she said, “and has been asking me a lot of questions about what I did and how to handle this or that situation. I think that watching me, he has become serious about going to college too.”