36 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY SEPTEMBER 4-10, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com FACE TO FACE Rising college freshman Francesca Muñoz is just 18 and the brand-new recipient of a driver’s license, but she carries herself with wisdom and poise beyond her years. The 2025 graduate of Salinas High School has stayed in touch with her Mission Park Elementary School advisers, volunteering every year for a STEAM Fair. In July, Salinas City Elementary School District Coordinator of Innovation Krysta Bradley texted to ask Muñoz if she would moderate a panel of rising fifth- and sixth-graders as part of a back-toschool event. Speaking before a room full of hundreds of adults on Aug. 4, Muñoz acknowledged her own vulnerability as she introduced the panelists. “I tended to be a child who would sit at the side of the playground, drawing flowers or Harry Potter wands,” she said. “Most of the time I fell into myself. A system to create a sense of belonging would have helped me—it would just be amazing to see a community where growth like that is fostered.” Muñoz is now actively fostering growth in herself and her peers and beyond as she transitions to Hartnell Community College where she plans to study physics, a subject that “just scratches that itch in my brain.” Weekly: You are an impressive public speaker, based on that back-toschool event. Muñoz: I owe that to theater. I have always been an extrovert, but the thing that brought public speaking out of me the most has to be theater. Tell me how you first got started in theater. My first play at ARIEL Theatrical, when I was just turning 10, was Charlotte’s Web. I was a sheep; I was an animal in my first three shows. Then I ended up getting the part of Alice in the play Wonderland! I had never had a lead like that before and I had never played a human before, quite frankly. I was so, so nervous before the first show at Sherwood Hall. Does that make you feel like you can accomplish hard things? That’s the motto at ARIEL: “I can do hard things.” That has really helped motivate me whenever I am feeling lost or stuck. And I think: Success comes dressed in overalls, it looks like work. One of my definitions of success is just feeling fulfilled—for me working hard makes me feel fulfilled. You were diagnosed with ADHD in middle school, and seem very open about sharing what that means. I just feel it’s important that people understand more about it. It’s not a choice to let your grades slip—it’s almost like a mental paralysis. There are also benefits; it adds to how creative I am and how many ideas are in my head. My brain is constantly working. Last night I was thinking about a premise for a book and then I was thinking about making a rock wall. I always have something cooking. What’s cooking right now? I’ve been thinking about writing more poetry. I was president of [Salinas High School’s] creative writing club for three years. It’s a perfect outlet for me to express myself: I don’t have to say things explicitly using plain language like “I’m sad” or “I’m angry,” instead using imagery and metaphors. What was your experience like leading the panel discussion of elementary school students in August? Those kids were so lovely, so well spoken. I think the future is bright with the next generation. If you give more power to the students, they will start to learn that their voice is important and that they can make a change, which is what was so powerful about that panel—the students’ voices were actually heard in front of an entire room of people. Do you have ideas for how you can make your own voice heard? One of the best ways is by volunteering. I volunteered at the Rodeo just for fun. One thing I enjoy about volunteering is it gives me time away from my phone. I don’t do it for hours, I just do it because it makes me feel good. You can spread your voice and ideas to other people around you. That’s one of the best ways not only to let your voice be heard, but also to build community. You participated in a robotics competition and high school and built the robot yourself, instead of from a kit. Why do it the hard way? The people I surround myself with are very big dreamers, so we always shoot for the top. What’s your big dream? To find myself content with the things I am doing in my life, and not to feel like I’m stuck somewhere. Book Smart Hartnell College freshman Francesca Muñoz found her voice on stage. By Sara Rubin Francesca Muñoz plans to study physics but also stay involved in theater and creative writing. “It’s good to just follow your passions, even if those passions are very different,” she says. DANIEL DREIFUSS
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