Meet Yesenia Gonzalez | Student & Small Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Yesenia Gonzalez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Yesenia, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
When I was about 4 years old, my mom used to make bracelets for her friends as a gift. I come from a low income family, so she couldn’t buy expensive gifts, and instead she did these bracelets for them. I used to see her doing them, and I wanted to make them too. I used to sit next to her until she taught me how to do them. My mom also makes clothes, and at that time, she used to do yard sales, and for the little girls’ outfits, I used to make a bracelet so that my mom could hang it with the outfit and sell it. At the end, she would give me a dollar for each bracelet or outfit sold.

I used to say I was going to be a “pulserera” when I grew up. “Pulserera” is not a word, but what I meant to say is that I was going to dedicate to doing bracelets (i.e., a business woman). Later, I also used to make some for my friends. When I moved to Mexico, I kept doing them and selling them at home, until I started middle school, I started selling them there, and it was fun.

Since I returned to the U.S., I had been wanting to start a jewelry business, but I did not know how to. It was until May 2021 that I finally did with the purpose of continuing with my hobby but also saving money for when I start attending grad school, hopefully in Fall 2022.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a college student and will be graduating in May 2022 as a psychology major with a minor in Chicanx Studies. It has not been easy because I have experienced a lot of self-doubt and imposter syndrome, but whenever I feel discouraged, I think of why I am doing this. I have been very involved on campus since I transferred from a community college and even a little before transferring. I am part of different clubs, a McNair Scholar, an undergraduate research assistant at a research lab, Psi Chi member. I also work part time as a Transfer Peer Academic Coach. I hope to start graduate school in Fall 2022 and earn a PhD in Clinical or Counseling Psychology. I want to become a bilingual therapist to help people of color in their mental health journey, especially the Latinx and undocumented communities.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in South Central LA, where there are a lot of food trucks, so I would definitely invite them some tacos!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Since a very young age, my mom taught me the process of jewelry making, and both of my parents taught me the importance of hard work. They are a big part of my motivation to strive hard in school and in life. Additionally, my friend, Stephanie S., has provided me with a lot of support through this process, and thanks to her, I decided to start my small business.

Website: www.proudchicana.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/proudchicana_

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yesenia-gonzalez-675058163/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/yesenia_glez8a

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/proudchicanajewelry/

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@proudchicana_