15 – Kim Davalos / Educator, Community Artist, Rock the School Bells, CIPHER

Kim Davalos is an accomplished Filipina American educator, community artist, and counselor. Born and raised in Stockton, California, she moved quickly through academia, finishing her undergrad at San Diego State University and her Masters in Counseling at San Francisco State University—all by the age of 21. At the same time, she worked on her craft as a poet—participating in open mics and winning a slam competition during her undergrad—eventually taking on photography as well. She’s currently working as a counselor at Skyline College. She teaches for CIPHER, the first West Coast hip hop learning community in the country. Using hip hop as a platform to engage students and promote academic success, she’s now taking on the position of lead Coordinator for Rock the School Bells—a conference that uses hip hop and arts to engage and empower youth to excel in higher education.

In this episode, Kim opens up with poetry and shares her journey through spoken word, arts, and academia. She shares the reasons she entered counseling as a profession and the lessons she’s learned over the years of practice. We dive into her family’s history and her growth through hip hop, eventually discussing her dreams and vision for Rock the School Bells. Throughout the episode, she also shares more poetry and reflections, ranging from feminism to her personal relationship with her grandmother. She has a lot of wisdom to share! Take a listen and let us know your thoughts!

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