The Peace Club at Tracy HS in Cerritos, CA is a small but powerful tribe. Our club meets on campus every Thursday at lunch under the leadership of club president Kenny Fletcher and Vice President, Melissa Alvarez. Before we meet, our club officers meet and make the agenda and plan all activities. We also have time to discuss issues going on the world and even though we don’t see the military on campus all the time. We talk about the war and military recruitment and are making plans for Peace Week right now. We just had career day when the Marines were on campus, but we were on campus too with a table and passed out brochures. Earlier this school year, we sent care packages to our troops who are deployed overseas and recently arrived immigrants from El Salvador. We do this so we can help others with the little we have. We also do activities like marching in parades, so we can spread the positive meaning of peace.

My name is Sandy Martinez, and as of right now I am at another school. I used to attend Tracy but was transferred like two months ago but want to write this report because the peace club has a special meaning to me just because I know that people there at Tracy still support me and it’s comforting to know not every person who’s experienced a difficult and rough life like me and may also experience that same experiences are not forgotten. I’ve had many, many bumps along the way, but that doesn’t mean I gave up even after my father went to prison, got cancer and my mother was deported. It was after this that I realized I was going to have to change my ways and working on being the best version of myself- not just for myself, but for my family. I realized I had to help them. I now live with my grandmother and have to help my little brother too. I know I have to first heal myself from my past, ( I got into trouble with the law and am now on probation), and get rid of my old habits.

That’s where the peace club came into my life. I never had an idea what it could do for me until I started opening up my mind. I learned new things and got new opportunities to do things I never thought I could ever do. I could never see myself holding up a sign trying to stop wars. But I surprised myself and feel so obligated to inform others how severe and important it is to try to save people’s lives and to let people know what really is the truth and what’s going on about wars and preventing them. It is chill working together to stop these unceasing wars. The peace club helps us become more compassionate which made me want to help others. Now I’m beginning to pay attention to things I never thought about before.

I hope to go back to Tracy in September if they will take me back and I want to help lead the peace club. I think I can do that. Before that, I plan to learn a lot more about peace and student organizing for peace at peace camp this summer. Wish me luck!

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