Taylor Nguyen: Stepping into a Whole New World
As a junior finishing up my third year at Santa Clara, I did not expect to come across an email describing the opportunity to become involved in the Community Fellows program; and, not only that, but to engage with a program that works to provide affordable housing and addresses concerns regarding homelessness, something which I care deeply about. Now working closely with the Santa Clara County Housing Authority (SCCHA), I can definitely say that the experience has been nothing short of insightful and eye-opening.
Upon arrival at the housing authority, I had no idea what to expect as this is the first year that the SCCHA is a part of the community program, but I was ready to take on this role head-on, and I was ready to hit the ground running. Little did I know that I was quite illiterate in regards to the topics, discussions, vernacular, and thought processes needed to understand the issues and projects that the SCCHA tackled. Thus, this came with A LOT of reading, which scared me at first as I stared into the pages and pages of documents, project reports, and city council agendas. Clicking on one link to the next, diving deeper and deeper into the layers of granularity that each document presented, I became more and more immersed. I began to learn about different laws, ordinances, processes, verbiage, etc., and as I kept on reading, I began to understand more.
With such understanding came lots of questions. However, Nathan Ho, my supervisor has been extremely helpful and knowledgeable, answering all of my questions that I had, further cultivating my understanding and passion for the material that I have been diving into and the work that I have yet to do. One question would spur into a conversation about three other tangent topics, which then spurred again into other questions and thoughts. I love the process of learning, understanding, relearning, and continuous growth. Another area which has helped me grasp a tighter grip on the housing world is watching parts of city council meetings where they discuss topics and items that pertain to housing and land use decisions. It is extremely interesting seeing city officials discuss these topics along with seeing their thought processes, and it has made me only more excited to continue with my engagement with the SCCHA along with future projects!