By Christine Salinas, Managers of Grants and Communications

We love boasting about our fantastic staff members, and we’re thrilled to introduce Katrina Largusa, MSW, as a new member of our coaching team! Coach Katrina served as a Pivotal intern coach during the 2018-2019 academic year and joined us in 2020 as our San Mateo County High School Coach.

Katrina’s personal experience as a sibling to two youth adopted through Alameda County foster care inspired her to pursue a social work career and close the achievement gap. “There are so many students who are first-generation students and don’t have someone to guide them. It’s an equity problem because we know that with support, they can be just as ‘successful’ as any other young person,” she shared.

What’s her favorite thing about working as a Pivotal coach? “I love celebrating each youth’s wins, no matter how big or small. Like, when they text me that they got a B on a test or I get to watch them walk across the graduation stage, it’s all incredibly rewarding. These wins give me the juice to keep going, especially when I hit roadblocks or challenges while working with a young .”

Katrina’s experience also means helping members of our community understand the challenges that foster youth face. Katrina explains, “Foster youth are regular teens who enjoy doing fun teen activities and face the same teenager issues as everyone else. They also have a whole other portion of their life that adds extra trials for them, and they grow up a lot quicker than the average person. They face stigmas and hurdles that others don’t.”  

What else does Katrina want you to know about her? She’s an accomplished piano player and singer who loves indulging in Ben and Jerry’s Half-Baked Ice Cream. Welcome to Team Pivotal, Katrina!