Luis And Tania
Tania (class of 2017) and Luis (class of 2018) are alumni campers who married in 2022. They are both first-generation college graduates and say that camp was central to their story and where they are today. Now, they are giving back to the next generation of Camp Catanese campers!
Both Tania and Luis’ parents are from Mexico and didn’t finish middle or high school. Tania immigrated to Phoenix when she was in 4th grade and had to learn English quickly. She remembers her parents wanted to be involved with school, but there was a language barrier that prevented them from helping her with her homework.
On top of language and cultural barriers, both Tania and Luis’ families faced financial burdens. Tania’s mom cleaned houses and was the primary provider, while her dad did everything that he could to try to find work. In middle school, Tania would come home from school, take off her uniform so she wouldn’t get her only set dirty, and she would either babysit her younger siblings or walk door to door with her dad selling cookies and tortillas. Luis remembers it being hard too. His parents were always working to make a better life, but he says the main challenge was that “there was no example or path to follow.” They didn’t have the resources to know how to pursue a higher education and he did not have a clear idea of what that “better life” looked like.
“Opportunities always seemed slim to none, but with Camp Catanese those opportunities just became more than what we would expect,” says Tania. Tania and Luis both attended the first years at Camp Catanese in 2016, 2017, and 2018 (Luis). They remember camp providing them with the chance to try new things and build lasting relationships. “Camp puts you in a fun learning setting and it makes everyone grow closer together,” says Luis.
Tania recalls an evening at camp when Mr. Cat asked campers to each write down one thing that they were afraid of, then the group read their fears aloud to each other – some anonymously, some not. It was the first time that Tania remembers embracing and owning her immigrant status, something that had always been taboo and scary to share. “Before that, being an immigrant was my deepest, darkest secret. At camp, it was a place of acceptance, and a place that is there for you through the bad and good.”
One of Luis’ life-changing moments at Camp Catanese was seeing Tania across the cafeteria and thinking that he had to meet her! Lucky for them, they connected via a group chat following camp, and the rest is history! Tania and Luis got married in 2022.
Another moment that impacted Luis during his time at camp was a morning program session led by Nathaniel Guinn, a volunteer who was majoring in Computer Science. The session was a hands-on activity about computer programming that provided information about different career opportunities. That was the initial spark Luis needed. His interest in technology and software development grew from there and he went on to major in Computer Systems at Arizona State University! Today, Luis works in software development for General Motors. “I really like that camp gives you those opportunities. It gives you space to try things out and see what’s out there,” says Luis.
Tania and Luis both received Camp Catanese scholarships when they graduated from high school, and Tania says that the $1,000 scholarship was what she needed to be able to enroll at Phoenix College. As an immigrant student, Tania had to pay out of state tuition, so finances were a barrier to enrolling full-time year-over-year. Tania says, “I did not want to apply for certain scholarships because I feared I’d be putting my family in danger of being deported if I put our information out there.” However, with the help of an additional Camp Catanese scholarship, Tania says her final semester was the best one because she was able to take a full course load and graduate with her associate degree. She hopes to go back to school one day to earn a bachelor’s degree, with the intention of serving her community.
“I would not be where I am without camp and Mr. Cat,” says Luis. Today, they feel fortunate to call Camp Catanese their community, and they carry lessons from camp into their daily lives – whether it’s the tangible skills that Luis uses in his job or the values to give back, care for, and connect with others. This year, Tania and Luis raised and contributed $2,500 to Camp Catanese to create a scholarship for the next generation of campers. They want to show immigrant students, like themselves, that they too can dream big and succeed!
Tania (class of 2017) and Luis (class of 2018) are alumni campers who married in 2022. They are both first-generation college graduates and say that camp was central to their story and where they are today. Now, they are giving back to the next generation of Camp Catanese campers!
Both Tania and Luis’ parents are from Mexico and didn’t finish middle or high school. Tania immigrated to Phoenix when she was in 4th grade and had to learn English quickly. She remembers her parents wanted to be involved with school, but there was a language barrier that prevented them from helping her with her homework.
On top of language and cultural barriers, both Tania and Luis’ families faced financial burdens. Tania’s mom cleaned houses and was the primary provider, while her dad did everything that he could to try to find work. In middle school, Tania would come home from school, take off her uniform so she wouldn’t get her only set dirty, and she would either babysit her younger siblings or walk door to door with her dad selling cookies and tortillas. Luis remembers it being hard too. His parents were always working to make a better life, but he says the main challenge was that “there was no example or path to follow.” They didn’t have the resources to know how to pursue a higher education and he did not have a clear idea of what that “better life” looked like.
“Opportunities always seemed slim to none, but with Camp Catanese those opportunities just became more than what we would expect,” says Tania. Tania and Luis both attended the first years at Camp Catanese in 2016, 2017, and 2018 (Luis). They remember camp providing them with the chance to try new things and build lasting relationships. “Camp puts you in a fun learning setting and it makes everyone grow closer together,” says Luis.
Tania recalls an evening at camp when Mr. Cat asked campers to each write down one thing that they were afraid of, then the group read their fears aloud to each other – some anonymously, some not. It was the first time that Tania remembers embracing and owning her immigrant status, something that had always been taboo and scary to share. “Before that, being an immigrant was my deepest, darkest secret. At camp, it was a place of acceptance, and a place that is there for you through the bad and good.”
One of Luis’ life-changing moments at Camp Catanese was seeing Tania across the cafeteria and thinking that he had to meet her! Lucky for them, they connected via a group chat following camp, and the rest is history! Tania and Luis got married in 2022.
Another moment that impacted Luis during his time at camp was a morning program session led by Nathaniel Guinn, a volunteer who was majoring in Computer Science. The session was a hands-on activity about computer programming that provided information about different career opportunities. That was the initial spark Luis needed. His interest in technology and software development grew from there and he went on to major in Computer Systems at Arizona State University! Today, Luis works in software development for General Motors. “I really like that camp gives you those opportunities. It gives you space to try things out and see what’s out there,” says Luis.
Tania and Luis both received Camp Catanese scholarships when they graduated from high school, and Tania says that the $1,000 scholarship was what she needed to be able to enroll at Phoenix College. As an immigrant student, Tania had to pay out of state tuition, so finances were a barrier to enrolling full-time year-over-year. Tania says, “I did not want to apply for certain scholarships because I feared I’d be putting my family in danger of being deported if I put our information out there.” However, with the help of an additional Camp Catanese scholarship, Tania says her final semester was the best one because she was able to take a full course load and graduate with her associate degree. She hopes to go back to school one day to earn a bachelor’s degree, with the intention of serving her community.
“I would not be where I am without camp and Mr. Cat,” says Luis. Today, they feel fortunate to call Camp Catanese their community, and they carry lessons from camp into their daily lives – whether it’s the tangible skills that Luis uses in his job or the values to give back, care for, and connect with others. This year, Tania and Luis raised and contributed $2,500 to Camp Catanese to create a scholarship for the next generation of campers. They want to show immigrant students, like themselves, that they too can dream big and succeed!