44 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MARCH 12-18, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com FACE TO FACE Cindy Aguilar-Castañeda, 25, is a Gonzales native who became involved in her community as a teenager. She was one of the first Youth Commissioners on the Gonzales Youth Council, a board actively involved in local government—and one that has received national recognition. She currently mentors for the Gonzales Youth Council, serves as a member of Epicenter’s board of directors and works at Palenke Arts, a Seaside nonprofit. So her involvement in helping teens to achieve their goals continues. Aguilar-Castañeda says many people mentored her and encouraged her to keep going. In 2018, she was a Bezos Scholar and launched her own project, Senior Swarm, a college and career readiness workshop series for teens, bringing professionals to talk about education, finances and health. She studied sociology at UC Berkeley, the first in her family to attend college. Weekly: You are so passionate about the Gonzales Youth Council. How has it impacted your life? Aguilar-Castañeda: The most transformative piece was around the time that I was about to enter high school. That’s when Gonzales launched its first-ever Youth Council. I don’t think I realized how powerful my voice was. It was through that program that I met my lifelong mentor, Michelle Slade, who was helping build the program. I realized that my voice mattered, even if it was just to my small town in the council chambers. It did make a difference. I found myself being invited or included in spaces that I had never been in before. To know that I had access to that level of mentorship and investment in me, I think really set me up professionally and also personally. How was the transition moving from high school in Gonzales to UC Berkeley? To be honest, I didn’t even know what going to UC Berkeley meant. I just knew I got financial aid, and I was “¡Vamos!” And then when I got there, I was, “What is going on? This is so different from Gonzales.” I didn’t know how to use the bus. I didn’t know how to navigate the city. When I left high school, I was a 4.0 student. Everybody would tell me that whatever school I wanted to go to, I would get into. Once the semester kicked off, it wasn’t just the Summer Bridge students. Berkeley looked very different. It wasn’t just first-generation low-income students who were coming in. It was everyone—people who are coming from generational wealth, people who had so many family members that had gone to Berkeley before. I got my first D on an essay. My first D ever. I remember sitting there, trying to hold back my tears and thinking, “Do I even know how to write? What am I doing? Do I belong here?” I think over time I found my cadence. I was in the tutoring writing center every single week. What was your staple meal in college? I would make a lot of tinga, which isn’t like a struggle meal, but it would last me a long time. So I would have tostadas all week—and it was also a recipe that reminded me of home. It was really hard for me to find Mexican food close to campus. Did you think about coming back home to Monterey County after graduating? I did. I have peers who stayed in the Bay Area, and I have peers who were like, “I’m never going back home.” I don’t live in Gonzales anymore, partly because of the housing situation. Now I live in Salinas. And I work in Seaside. I think just generally Monterey County feels like community, and I always knew that I wanted to be back. What would Gonzales be like without the Youth Council? I don’t know if that community center would exist now. Now it’s kind of core to the city, and also has had a ripple effect to other communities. It’s really hard for me to envision a city council meeting where youth commissioners aren’t sitting at the table, or where our youth commissioners aren’t being celebrated, or that the council chambers aren’t being used by them. I know for me, it was extremely transformative, so I don’t even know where I would be if I hadn’t had that mentorship and support. How do you spend your free time? I love spending time with my little sister. We have an 11-year gap, but she’s awesome. She’s currently the face of the campaign for Salinas Valley Health Children’s Miracle Network. I live with my family, and we just try to spend time together as much as we can. Forever Young For Cindy Aguilar-Castañeda, community involvement started early and now she supports a younger generation. By Celia Jiménez “I get to do a lot of work providing opportunities for youth to have access to resources and mentorship,” says Palenke Arts’ Cindy Aguilar-Castañeda. DANIEL DREIFUSS Things to love: 13 years old 10 pounds - Male - Chihuahua Chucky Wise, gentle, and full of quirky charm. That's Chucky. This little gentleman has embraced his golden years with grace, enjoying warm laps, quiet moments, and short strolls in the sun. He's thriving with the right care and looking for a calm, like-minded companion to share his days with. If you’d like sponsor our next ad, give us a call. 831-718-9122 | www.POMDR.org P.O. Box 51554, Pacific Grove, CA 93950 Want to meet Chucky? Please fill out our online adoption questionnaire. Ad sponsored by M.B.W.W.C. www.GoWhales.com
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==