WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.380 align:middle line:90% [MUSIC PLAYING] 00:00:02.380 --> 00:00:07.150 align:middle line:90% 00:00:07.150 --> 00:00:09.460 align:middle line:84% TIM SANDOVAL: So I grew up in the city of Pomona. 00:00:09.460 --> 00:00:11.740 align:middle line:84% And when I graduated from Pomona High School, 00:00:11.740 --> 00:00:14.582 align:middle line:84% the school that I accepted was Claremont McKenna College. 00:00:14.582 --> 00:00:16.540 align:middle line:84% It just happens that at that particular moment, 00:00:16.540 --> 00:00:20.350 align:middle line:84% I was going to some very real challenges in my life. 00:00:20.350 --> 00:00:23.100 align:middle line:84% My father-- my parents separated. 00:00:23.100 --> 00:00:27.715 align:middle line:84% And middle of my second year, I failed. 00:00:27.715 --> 00:00:29.980 align:middle line:84% But I knew that I wanted to continue college. 00:00:29.980 --> 00:00:32.290 align:middle line:84% I wanted to make sure that I took care of my mom, 00:00:32.290 --> 00:00:33.130 align:middle line:90% at some point. 00:00:33.130 --> 00:00:38.410 align:middle line:84% And I enrolled at Chaffey Community College. 00:00:38.410 --> 00:00:41.680 align:middle line:84% I was pretty lost when I arrived at Chaffey College. 00:00:41.680 --> 00:00:45.940 align:middle line:84% And I met a lot of people who took an interest in me when 00:00:45.940 --> 00:00:46.900 align:middle line:90% I needed it most. 00:00:46.900 --> 00:00:52.440 align:middle line:84% And that's what that place can do. 00:00:52.440 --> 00:00:55.130 align:middle line:84% Is it can transform a life, and it transformed my. 00:00:55.130 --> 00:00:56.650 align:middle line:90% It saved me. 00:00:56.650 --> 00:01:00.220 align:middle line:84% So for that reason, I'm forever grateful for that Chaffey 00:01:00.220 --> 00:01:02.610 align:middle line:90% experience. 00:01:02.610 --> 00:01:04.330 align:middle line:84% So after I graduated from Chaffey, 00:01:04.330 --> 00:01:07.250 align:middle line:90% I decided to go to UC Riverside. 00:01:07.250 --> 00:01:10.150 align:middle line:84% And graduated with a BA in English literature. 00:01:10.150 --> 00:01:12.700 align:middle line:84% Shortly after I graduated, I was asked 00:01:12.700 --> 00:01:16.833 align:middle line:84% to help co-found a nonprofit in Pomona, called Bright Prospect. 00:01:16.833 --> 00:01:18.250 align:middle line:84% It was a program that was intended 00:01:18.250 --> 00:01:20.830 align:middle line:84% to help the young people from this community, who 00:01:20.830 --> 00:01:23.050 align:middle line:84% were, perhaps, were thinking of going to schools 00:01:23.050 --> 00:01:24.670 align:middle line:90% like UCLA and Berkeley. 00:01:24.670 --> 00:01:26.950 align:middle line:84% To get them to consider going to schools 00:01:26.950 --> 00:01:28.540 align:middle line:84% that they had never heard of before. 00:01:28.540 --> 00:01:30.640 align:middle line:84% Those schools also wanted to diversify. 00:01:30.640 --> 00:01:33.890 align:middle line:84% So they provided tremendous financial aid. 00:01:33.890 --> 00:01:37.240 align:middle line:90% So $50,000, $60,000 education-- 00:01:37.240 --> 00:01:40.000 align:middle line:90% fully funded. 00:01:40.000 --> 00:01:42.280 align:middle line:84% I think over time, it became clear to me 00:01:42.280 --> 00:01:47.950 align:middle line:84% that Pomona really needed political change. 00:01:47.950 --> 00:01:50.500 align:middle line:84% I had been working with these young people 00:01:50.500 --> 00:01:53.350 align:middle line:84% from this community for close to 15 years. 00:01:53.350 --> 00:01:54.790 align:middle line:84% And I wanted to make sure that we 00:01:54.790 --> 00:01:58.660 align:middle line:84% didn't lose those kids, where sometimes communities 00:01:58.660 --> 00:02:01.900 align:middle line:84% have this brain drain because we haven't created 00:02:01.900 --> 00:02:04.340 align:middle line:84% the opportunities for them to come back, 00:02:04.340 --> 00:02:06.820 align:middle line:90% and to serve in some capacity. 00:02:06.820 --> 00:02:09.250 align:middle line:84% And I really felt at the time that what we needed 00:02:09.250 --> 00:02:11.260 align:middle line:90% was youth leadership. 00:02:11.260 --> 00:02:16.570 align:middle line:84% And I was elected mayor, in November 2016. 00:02:16.570 --> 00:02:19.750 align:middle line:84% Shortly after I was elected, when the state passed SB 54-- 00:02:19.750 --> 00:02:21.910 align:middle line:90% the California Values Act-- 00:02:21.910 --> 00:02:24.700 align:middle line:84% we, as a city, also passed an ordinance 00:02:24.700 --> 00:02:28.900 align:middle line:84% saying that we respect our diverse community. 00:02:28.900 --> 00:02:31.840 align:middle line:84% And that we are going to ensure their safety. 00:02:31.840 --> 00:02:35.500 align:middle line:84% And our city elected to build a homeless service center. 00:02:35.500 --> 00:02:37.810 align:middle line:84% What we said is, let's do the right thing. 00:02:37.810 --> 00:02:40.270 align:middle line:84% Let's make sure that we have a place for them 00:02:40.270 --> 00:02:41.298 align:middle line:90% to get their lives back. 00:02:41.298 --> 00:02:43.840 align:middle line:84% And so this past December, we opened up the Homeless Services 00:02:43.840 --> 00:02:45.520 align:middle line:84% Center, which is currently housing 00:02:45.520 --> 00:02:47.620 align:middle line:90% over 200 homeless people. 00:02:47.620 --> 00:02:50.170 align:middle line:84% So in this position, we're able to create 00:02:50.170 --> 00:02:53.080 align:middle line:84% policy that has a tremendous impact 00:02:53.080 --> 00:02:56.880 align:middle line:90% on the lives of our residents. 00:02:56.880 --> 00:02:59.310 align:middle line:84% If I could be in a position to help others who, 00:02:59.310 --> 00:03:01.990 align:middle line:84% by extension, could help their families, 00:03:01.990 --> 00:03:06.080 align:middle line:84% then I believe that I've fulfilled my calling. 00:03:06.080 --> 00:03:14.605 align:middle line:90%