ES 
The Reality Changers team has Selected Maria Lugo as our THIRD quarter “Agent of Change.”
This special award recognizes a staff member who shows a deep commitment to our mission and examplifies our values. Read on to learn more about Academy Coach Maria Lugo.
What college(s) did you attend?
I am a proud first-generation college graduate from San Diego City College (‘21 & ‘22) and San Diego State University (‘24) with two associates degrees (Psychology and Liberal Arts & Humanities) and a bachelor’s degree in Chicano/a/x Studies with a minor in Counseling and Social Change.
What did it mean to you to graduate from college?
Being the first in my family to be able to receive a Bachelor’s degree meant everything to my family and myself. Coming from City Heights and being a transborder student at one point (commuting through the Tijauna/San Diego border), I never saw anyone who looked like me or came from the same background in “higher up spaces.” Receiving my degree meant that I’d have more financial stability and more career options. My family never had these same opportunities. I created a shift in my family’s generational trajectory–past, present and future–by becoming the first to earn a bachelor’s degree.
What is your favorite thing about working at Reality Changers?
I am very proud to be a part of Reality Changers because our mission is one that deeply resonates with me and is one that motivates and sustains my work. I’ve experienced first hand the impact of shifting my family’s future and becoming an ‘agent of change’ in my own community, now there IS someone who looks like and is from the same communities as our youth (me!). This sense of purpose is what I want for ALL of our students, I want them to be successful and I’ll be there as a helping hand.
What is your favorite thing about working at Reality Changers?
My favorite part about working with Reality Changers is the great sense of community and care for students; everything is intentional and done with love.
What work accomplishment are you most proud of?
I am most proud of ensuring that all of our students from the class of 2025 graduated as they are my first graduating cohort!