Humans of RJ: Jackie Bueno

This week, we’re highlighting one of our Student Leaders and Lead Blogger for the Restorative Justice Center’s blog, Jackie Bueno. Jackie is a senior at UC Berkeley studying Sociology graduating in August 2018. She started working for the RJ Center in September 2017. Since then, Jackie has led Restorative Justice Circles in Greek life and for other organizations on campus.

Jackie grew up in Richmond, California and has lived in the Bay Area all her life.

She says, “I decided to work for the Restorative Justice Center because this work is the type of facilitated and interventional dialogue our communities need to come together to resolve the tension we have between each other and the issues we face, especially in this political era. These issues often remain unresolved and fester because of inadequate education about the different identities we hold usually based on the intersectionality of one's partisanship, socioeconomic status, gender and race and inadequate problem-solving skills and training given to various power holders and leaders in our communities. Growing up in Richmond, California, I was exposed to individuals with different multi ethnic backgrounds. The high school I attended 30 miles from home wasn’t. While I remember feeling it was easy to other individuals who held antagonistic values to the ones my immigrant parents raised me with, I finally understood that they were not out of malice but out of ignorance or a lack of proper education on social issues. The views they held were not uncommon either as we’ve seen in the past election, a moral divide in our nation is real."

RJ reminds me that while anger towards others in times of conflict is normal, it is not the only and final way we can handle it.

In her free time, Jackie does pilates, sings and is a frequent concert goer.

Three words that describe what she hopes for in 2018 are to find better ways to have forgiveness, understanding and resilience.