Katherine Rivas
Katherine is a sophomore at University High School Charter. She joined KORYO with the hope of educating herself on effective ways to help improve the wellness of the community regarding drug misuse. She is excited to connect with her community, learn more about it, and use storytelling to build people’s confidence and encourage them to reach out for support. Some of her favorite hobbies are listening to music, playing musical instruments, reading crime and mystery books, playing water polo, and swimming.
Connection Helps Us
Interview by Diana Kim
Where’s your hometown? Where are you from?
I’ve always lived in Koreatown, Los Angeles. I was born and raised here. I really love it.
Where do you go to school?
[My school] is near Santa Monica. It’s a great school, but I don’t like having to go so far away because I use public transportation, which can sometimes be a little hard.
Why are you so fond of Koreatown?
It’s a great community. I know a lot of people, and I have so many friends I’ve made throughout all these years. We’ve come close together. We all live nearby, so it’s like a small community I have been a part of since I was born and raised here.
Are there any other activities or extracurriculars that you do in Koreatown?
Oh, yeah. During the summer, I was part of the BRIDGE summer program at KYCC for some time, but there were some scheduling problems.
When was the last time you volunteered for BRIDGE?
Maybe three weeks ago. I always volunteered for kindergarten with Ms. Get.
Do you have a particular memory that you’ve made in Koreatown?
One day, my friends and I all decided to go out together. When we met up, we had no idea where we would go. In the end, we just went to a bunch of different places around Koreatown. We went out to eat Korean barbecue and then to the park to hang around. It was special because I was having fun with my friends in my community.
Do you have a favorite place in Koreatown?
There’s this small shopping center [Madang Plaza] by Wilshire with a lot of stores. There’s a market downstairs and a lot of other places to shop at.
What brought you to KORYO?
A few years ago, I experienced the death of someone in my family, my uncle. He had been using drugs. When I saw this program that helped people who were overdosing or using drugs, it touched me because I wished that there could have been someone there for my uncle. I want to be that person and be part of a community that will help these people. Even outside of Koreatown, you also see many people who have fallen into this cycle of drugs. I think it’s a great program that could help people who need it.
What do you think about the [KORYO] meetings so far?
When I started KORYO, I knew nothing about drugs. I just knew that there was a word called “drugs.” But now that I’ve started going to our meetings, I’m getting to know more than before. A lot of the information is on opioids and stimulants, but also about how to approach people, which is something I’ve been enjoying.
What do you think about the storytelling aspect of KORYO?
This is the first type of program I’ve entered that’s been teaching me more about it, which makes it exciting. That’s the main reason why I love KORYO: It’s something new to me. Ever since I joined this program, I’ve opened up a lot more, and it’s given me new opportunities to try many things that I would never have been able to do before.
I’ve always been really shy, and it’s been hard actually trying to talk to people. I remember the last meeting when I had to do a five-minute interview. It was so scary because it was my first time. I was really, really nervous. But it’s definitely helping a lot. Even being here for this interview is a little nerve-wracking, but it helps. I’m enjoying it. I’m enjoying this aspect of KORYO, and I’m excited to see what else it can give me.
Is there anyone you want to talk to about what you’ve learned at KORYO?
Yeah, I remember they mentioned this in one of the meetings, and it got me thinking. I know that in many different schools, there’s a lot of exposure for students when it comes to opioids, stimulants, or any other type of drug. We have a lot of exposure to it every day at school. I thought about how this isn’t a topic many people talk about, yet everyone knows it.
At my school, I noticed that no clubs have outreach programs for students who need help. I thought I could start one. I’m getting to know that I can be that helping hand at my school and inspire other students to do the same. School has been where I have thought about sharing the knowledge I’ve gained.
I know I’ve said a lot already, but school is a place where [drug use] is widely exposed. Sometimes, in the mornings, I come into the bathroom and see students already [under the influence]. That’s just been surprising. You see it everywhere. Teachers and staff talk about it, but at the same time, no one knows what to do about it.
It’s the same topic because students don’t know how it affects them. They don’t know much about drugs. It surprises me because school is where everything gets known, and we are all growing. We’re exposed to many things that could harm us, but we don’t know anything about them. It’s a place where I see drugs being spread a lot and used. School is an important place where you should educate people and tell them exactly what it is.
Can you shed light on other issues in your community?
Around our community in Koreatown, it’s noticeable that a lot of help is needed. It’s important for us to be that helping hand that knows how to approach [people using substances] and not judge them, or be biased on how drugs are bad and how they won’t do you any good. Instead, we should approach them and be able to help out. I know we talked about this in a meeting — about how we know some [situations] aren’t right for us, but it’s difficult for us actually to get out of them. It’s always important to create and build a stronger community together. That connection helps us.
Do you have goals or expectations for this connection to happen?
Yeah, it’s something I hope I can do with all this knowledge, not just leave it there and let it be. I would share [information] with people in our community to let them know what I know and help them get into outreach programs. It’s something that all of us in KORYO can do.
With everything we’re learning, being taught, and being trained for, I would like to approach people and be someone who can help and lift them up — someone they can rely on. I’d tell them there’s always a way out when they’re at their lowest point. I hope that with these interview techniques, we’re getting to interact with people and learn how to do it the right way. I just want to be there and be a person people can rely on.
Do you have any exposure to or experience with storytelling? Do you like sharing or listening to stories?
I go to church. I’m a teacher there for little kids. Every Sunday, I have to read them stories from the Bible. That’s been a great help, especially with kids, because they get distracted a lot. You have to keep their attention, and they have to be able to connect with and visualize the stories. That’s been a big component [of storytelling] that has taught me a lot. I enjoy it. As always, I’ve gotten nervous about it, but over time, I’ve been learning more and more about how to help them grasp the concept of my story and actively listen.
Do you have any special memories of doing this?
There was one time when — it was the first class I ever had — I thought it would be a great idea to draw pictures on the board so that while I was storytelling, I could go through the pictures. However, I am not the greatest artist, and I drew a few stick figures here and there that I thought were good and that the kids would enjoy.
Once the kids came into class, they saw the board and tried to figure out what each image was. It just kept getting worse and worse. I had drawn a dog, but they thought it was a hot dog! I was like, Oh well, there goes my hard work. It was so funny because, at the end of the day, it was a great class, but we were just laughing about how unartistic I was.
I learned from it because I brought one of my students to help me draw. She’s an amazing artist. I just told her, “Can you help me draw this?” Whenever I needed something, I just went to her to help me draw the visuals for the day.
How old are the kids?
They range from the ages of 5 to 11.
How many kids do you usually teach?
It varies, but usually like five to six kids.
Do you do this every week?
Yes, every week.
Do you have to take time to prepare for your classes?
Yes, I have to take at least 10 to 15 minutes every day to plan my lessons and activities that the students will enjoy. It’s something that I enjoy doing as well.