Her journey with Canal Alliance began more than a decade ago.
Daneidy grew up in the Canal, the daughter of immigrant parents from Guatemala. Like many first-generation students, navigating school and planning for the future did not always feel straightforward. Today, she works at Canal Alliance as a Workforce Navigator, helping others find opportunity and guidance — something she once needed herself.
Daneidy first learned about Canal Alliance through KidsClub, a youth program that once served families in the area. In 2014, she joined the UP! program as one of its pilot students, an experience she says would come to change the trajectory of her life.
“I loved being part of UP! it was such a big part of my life,” Daneidy recalls. “It gave me guidance on how to navigate my life academically and personally. This was especially important for me as a first-generation student.”
But school wasn’t always easy for Daneidy. She says she struggled academically at times and faced challenges at home while trying to keep up with the demands of school. But, she says, over the years the UP! program provided a reliable structure, mentorship, and a community of people who consistently believed in her potential.
“It’s hard sometimes to find someone — or that person — to believe in you… to believe you can amount to things and go to college, especially if it’s something that wasn’t really instilled in you as a child.” Daneidy says, becoming emotional as reflecting on her early years with UP!.
Daniedy says of the people who made a lasting difference in her journey was Michael Gomez, a former UP! supervisor who helped guide her through tutoring sessions, resume building, and volunteer opportunities. With that support, Daneidy found confidence in her abilities and began to imagine a future that once felt out of reach.
She attended San Rafael High School and graduated in 2021. From there, she continued her academic journey at University of California, Santa Cruz, where she double majored in Global Community Health and Latin American Studies. In 2025, she proudly graduated — becoming the first college graduate in her immediate family and a role model for her younger siblings.
Today, Daneidy’s life has brought her back to where she began.
In 2025, just after finishing college, she was hired for a role with Canal Alliance as a workforce navigator. She now supports community members seeking educational and career opportunities. When she talks about her work, her excitement is contagious.
“It is a full circle moment for me,” she says. “I struggled a lot with navigating a lot of things in my life, and now I get to help people who might need that extra encouragement or support.”
In her role on the Economic Mobility team, Daneidy works closely with programs like the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training and the Latinos In Finance (LIF) program, which help community members build skills and advance their careers.
“Education is so powerful,” Daneidy says. “There’s no age limit.”
The transition from being a student at Canal Alliance to becoming an employee has been both meaningful and rewarding.
“I love my team,” she says with a smile. “It’s weird to say you love your job, but I honestly do. My teammates have made me so comfortable with all my questions and the transition from being a student at Canal Alliance to now an employee here.”
When reflecting on her time in the UP! program, Daneidy says one memory stands out from the rest.
During a difficult period in her home life, Daneidy needed a letter of recommendation for scholarships. One of her UP! tutors wrote one for her. When she read it, it changed how she saw herself.
“I was struggling with my home life and I needed a letter of recommendation for my scholarships,” she remembers, her voice shaking with emotion. “So my UP! tutor wrote one for me and after I read it… it made me change how I viewed myself.”
“Sometimes you don’t know what you are doing or don’t have a sense of direction or guidance. All you need is one person to believe in you, and that was my UP! tutors.”
Today, Daneidy hopes the next generation — including members of her own family — can benefit from the same opportunities she had. She has two younger siblings, a 17-year-old brother and an 11-year-old sister, and she hopes her sister will one day be accepted into the UP! program and experience the same support that helped change her life.
Daneidy’s story is a reminder of the power of mentorship, community, and opportunity.
“At the end of the day,” Daneidy says, “Not many people have someone to believe in them. This program offered that support to me when I needed it most.”