Meet the Team: Arleth Gutierrez (Content Curator)
My name is Arleth and I graduated from the University of California Santa Cruz in Fall 2021. I joined Real Talk as the Content Curator in June 2021.
I met Dr. Leos through a mentor. We were connected because I was interested in learning more about her adolescent health research and overall career path. After I got to know more about her and her work with Real Talk, I became deeply inspired by this work. I have a strong passion for helping my community, specifically amplifying LGBTQ+ youth voices.
As a teen, I had trouble coming to terms with my sexuality due to fear of disappointing my traditional Mexican family. I didn’t have the resources or the support to truly accept myself. I had no understanding of the spectrum of sexuality or gender, and worse, no one who I could confide in. I felt very alone and scared.
It wasn’t until my first year of college that I met people with stories similar to mine. I remember how amazing it felt to feel deeply understood and seen. It was a breath of fresh air. Thankfully, through my friends and various college resources, I was able to fully grow into myself-- the real me. I am now very confident in my sexuality and gender expression. I feel comfortable in my own body. I am a first-generation college grad and a queer, brown woman. Someone my teen self would be proud of.
The challenges I faced as a teen shaped my dedication to building safe spaces for youth to seek resources related to sexuality, gender, adolescent health, and more. If I had access to an app like Real Talk as a teen, I would have been able to grow into myself sooner and not feel so alone.
Real Talk does an excellent job of providing teens with genuine and helpful information about sexuality and gender expression in a way that makes them feel supported and understood. More importantly, it gives teens a voice and a sense of community during difficult times.
I am so excited to be a part of the Real Talk team and to work closely with Dr. Leos. I am truly inspired by her dedication to improving teen health. As a Content Curator, I get to oversee Real Talk’s content activities, including content planning, story review, and story publication. I enjoy seeing teens’ stories come to life on the app and providing them with helpful resources. Working at Real Talk and being the editorial voice would have made my younger teen self proud for helping create a safe space for teens to share and find support.
– Arleth & the Real Talk team
P.S. There are lots of ways to support our work further – whether by donating to our fundraising campaign or partnering with us to bring Real Talk to teens in your community. Email us with any inquiries at hello@myhealthed.org.