By Teodora Ildefonzo-Olmo, Director of Programs
Playing with friends, running after the ice cream truck and exploring my neighborh
ood were some of the things that I did as a child. I was actually the quiet and shy kid who went with the flow and was eager for new adventures with my friends. As a young adult, I’ve always wanted to come back to my community and provide quality programming for young people. During my senior year at San Francisco State University, I got my chance! ROCK was looking for someone to fill its Middle and High School Program Director position. This job was right up my alley… I grew up in Visitacion Valley and was already working for a non-profit (doing similar work). Nervous, I showed up for my in-person interview and the rest is history!
For the past 6 years, I’ve been working for Real Options for City Kids (ROCK). I have had the opportunity to see the organization become a successful entity in the community and witness tremendous amount of growth from many of our young people. It is very rewarding to build positive relationships with young people, be a part of their lives and listen to their joys. I look forward to many more years with ROCK as the organization and the Visitacion Valley community are definitely a part of my life!
