All my formative years were right here, born & raised in Elgin. I was born at the old Sherman Hospital & was fortunate enough to attend Elgin High School.
While I was there, a staff member really took an interest in me & some other students, wanting us to learn about what different opportunities were open to us.
I didn't really see myself going to college or pursuing higher ed, but that Elgin High staff member saw me & my friends taking AP & honors courses & convinced us to at least let him take us on some college visits.
I would be the first one in my family to go to college, so I didn't know how to navigate that space - what applications to fill out or forms I needed to submit. That staff member was really instrumental in investing in us & getting us there. I ended up going to DePaul University & getting a bachelor's in Political Science & in Latin American Latino Studies. Later on, I went on to get a masters in International Public Service, also from DePaul - I'm a Double Demon ;)
Growing up I didn't really know what I wanted to do with my life. I thought, ‘you know what? I think I’ll be a lawyer.’, but I didn't know anything about that. When I got to orientation at DePaul, they asked what my major was going to be.
My counselor asked if I'd be interested in political science. I did have an interest in politics & the legal field. Finally, being at DePaul, somewhere I never imagined I'd be, the options suddenly felt wide open. I didn't know what I was doing, but political science seemed like a good place to start.
I picked up Latin American Latino Studies shortly after. I wanted to learn not only about my Mexican heritage, but the whole of Latin America & how it's interconnected. It was through school that I started to travel. My first study abroad program was in El Salvador. It really sparked my interest & led me to get my International Public Service Masters, which required me to travel more.
School had become such a huge opportunity to learn so many things & also to discover who I am. I loved learning about different cultures & experiences. I truly believe when you travel, you learn so much more about yourself & you can learn so much more about the community around you. It helps to clarify the things that are working or not working & make connections you never saw before.
My senior year, I had the opportunity to study an entire semester in Poland, learning about Eastern European history & politics. There was an expectation that I would learn some amount of Polish. I spoke English & Spanish, but absolutely no Polish. I knew it would be work, but I was up for it.
At the beginning of the trip things were going fairly well, until one day I got mixed up in the bus system. At that point I knew some Polish, but not enough to communicate the issue I was having; that I had no idea where I was or how to get back to where I needed to be. I tried speaking in English & in Spanish, but I couldn't find anyone who could understand me. It was such a frustrating & lonely experience. The good thing about buses though, is that people get on & off, & eventually, someone got on that could understand what I was saying & was able to help me.
When I finally got back to my dorm, I was so frustrated. So I called my mom.
After our greetings to each other, I blurted out, "Mom, I don't know how you did it!"
She was confused, "What are you talking about?"
I told her my experience, how I got lost in the bus system & I didn't know where I was. That it took what felt like forever & finally someone was able to help me & get me on my way. I was like, "You know, in that moment, I was so frustrated that I couldn't communicate with anyone. I felt so alone, but also, I knew I'm only here for four months and afterward, I get to go home. But you immigrated to the U.S. You weren't going home. You were going to stay."
I felt like I had gotten a tiny sliver of an experience of what immigrants go through everyday. I truly do not know how she came here without knowing the language & having to learn from scratch & figure out how to navigate the systems & the cultures & everything else. And also, I'm so grateful she did. Much like I had never seen myself going to college, I never saw myself running for public office. The possibility of being an elected official had never crossed my mind. I always felt like I'm good at working in the background. I'm very good at organization & creating the structure needed to get things done. A couple of years ago though, I completed a leadership program & one of the instructors said something that has stayed with me. "Sometimes you have to take an opportunity because it will push the door further open for those behind you."
If life has given you opportunities, privileges & skill sets to be in the place you're in, then you have the opportunity to push that door further open. One of the main reasons I'm running for city council is representation. Elgin is almost 50% women & 47.4% Latino, but we only have one individual whose of Latino heritage on the city council. I feel like I bring some different skill sets that would be extremely useful. I currently work in state government, in economic development. I'm from this community & this community is very important to me. I feel I could continue pushing open that door further for more women & more Latinos to serve in the future.
The final spark to actually get me to run was a woman leadership program where they trained women to run for office. It was set up to be encouraging & also give you the things necessary to navigate the system. That gave me the confidence to feel like I could do this.
When I'm on city council, I'm very interested in creating & implementing a very people-centric approach to gain more community input & engagement in how we govern. The hope is to move towards a more equitable, accessible & a more excellent Elgin. We want to make sure that everyone has a say & everyone is heard, because our community is full of incredibly talented, thoughtful & resourceful people. The answers to our problems are right here. We need to figure out how to open those lines of communication, so we are able to tap into that talent & work with each other.
Inclusive community engagement means intentional outreach to the community, working to understand what are the needs & wants of the different parts of our community. This will help people feel welcome in spaces in Elgin, & those spaces will not only be welcoming , but accessible. To get there, we need people to feel like they have a voice at the table.
ELGIN FAVORITES
Favorite Spot: Gail Borden Public Library! Fun Fact: The library was where I got my first job, at the circulation desk.
Favorite Place to Shop: Any pop-up shop - if there's a pop-up in Elgin, I'll be there! I also love the Farmers Market.
Favorite Place to Eat: The Dream Hall - I love options!
Diana Alfaro lives in Elgin & is a candidate for the Elgin City Council
Learn more about her campaign at www.diana4elgin.com
Facebook: Friends of Diana Alfaro
Instagram: @diana4elgin
