By Kate Scriven
Olivia Salazar de Breaux never saw herself as a community activist. She never planned to be a mentor for Latino youth. She never even thought she’d attend college, let alone graduate school. Yet, the longtime Olympia resident has accomplished all of this and more.
Olivia grew up in a military family, moving to Lacey when she was five and her dad was stationed at Fort Lewis. Olivia is the oldest of six daughters and for all of them, family comes first.
Throughout her youth and as a student at Timberline High School, Salazar de Breaux focused on family and never set her sights on education beyond high school. “I was basically surviving high school,” she recalls. “I never thought of myself as a college student. No one in my family had ever been to college so I assumed I wouldn’t either.”
After graduation, she landed an internship at Thurston Community Television that turned into a full-time position, one she would have happily kept with little ambition to move forward. However, Olivia was asked to help coordinate the Hispanic Youth Leadership Workshop and it was there she heard Dr. Sandra Madrid from the University of Washington School of Law speak and something clicked. “A light bulb went off in my head and I thought, ‘Could I be a college student? Could I be a professional like the women I admired from afar?’” she recalls.
She enrolled initially at Centralia College, but as often happens, life gets in the way and she only took a few classes. She remained active in the Latino community, working closely with Latino Youth organizations, married and started a family.
Over the years, she took classes at South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) plugging away at her degree one class at a time, juggling a job at SPSCC, motherhood and family. But, the more she saw at SPSCC as both a student and through her work there, and later at Brandman University, the more she was motivated to continue. “I was amazed each day by the students that walked through the doors. There were single parents, retired folks, young kids and teen moms,” Olivia remembers. “I thought, if they can do it, why can’t I?”
The opportunity to enroll at The Evergreen State College arose in 2011 and with the support of her husband, at the age of 34, she became a full-time college student.
“Throughout all this time, I became more empowered – really found my voice,” she shares. And it’s that empowered voice that she has shared with Latino youth through the Hispanic Round Table for nearly 10 years. She helps with the annual Latino Youth Summit, sharing her story and mentoring young Latinas as well.
“I want to help change their narrative about their future,” Olivia explains. “I love to see a light bulb go off for them, like it did for me, that they could be a college student.” The summit is located on area college campuses (this year at Saint Martin’s University). “Simply being on campus, realizing what it’s like, and finding out through the Summit what types of support are available can be life changing for Latino youth.”
Olivia graduated from Evergreen in 2013 with a BA in Education, realizing a personal dream after many years. She is now pursuing her Master’s in Public Administration and is excited about her new position working for the City of Olympia. “Working in government was never on my radar,” she laughs. “But, the level of community engagement and impact I can make at this level has me excited.”
Olivia’s road, however, hasn’t been without challenges and family tragedy. In 2012, while she was in the midst of her undergraduate work, she received the news that her younger sister, Esther, had died of suicide.
Esther was 32 years old, a mother of four, beloved sister, wife and daughter. “Esther was affectionate and loving, generous and kind, playful and mischievous – she was like a shooting star. She lit up everything around her,” remembers Olivia. The family was shattered, asking “why?” No answers came, just grief, blame, and heart ache.
“There is so much stigma attached to suicide,” Olivia shares. “It’s seen as selfish or shameful. Sadly, it is so often due to mental illness and depression and when someone is struggling in that way, they just want relief. It’s not about not loving the people in their life – it’s about not being able to go on.”
Just a few short weeks after Esther’s death a group of Army wives gathered in Portland to participate in an Out of the Darkness walk in Esther’s honor. Olivia hadn’t heard of the walk and honestly didn’t know if she could join, her grief so raw. But, through participating, she was able to see others who were touched by suicide or depression and found it helpful in starting her journey towards healing.
Upon returning home, she sought the local branch of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the sponsor of walks all across the nation. She signed up and participated in the Olympia walk and in her second year was the event’s top fundraiser. This year, she was approached by the Regional Director to organize Olympia’s event.
“I decided to step up, even though it was outside my comfort zone. The walk is a resource for others who are grieving, a way to honor those who we’ve lost, and resources to learn about available services in the area such as the Crisis Clinic and grief counseling.”
This year’s Out of the Darkness Community Walk is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on September 27 at Marathon Park in downtown Olympia with the goal of raising not only awareness but money to help support suicide prevention efforts and resources. The Olympia walk hopes to raise $25,000 and funds can be donated directly here or gathered as sponsorships for a team or individual walker.
Walkers and event sponsors are needed this year and while there is no cost to participate, the group’s fundraising goal is a big one and every dollar helps. Dogs, strollers, and families are all welcome. Visit the Walk’s Facebook page for the most up to date information.
This year more than ever, people are thinking about the reality of depression and suicide. With actor Robin William’s recent death, more people are opening up and talking about an issue that often is stigmatized. “Until it happens to you, or someone close to you, you don’t talk about it, but when you do, you realize that there are so many people touched by suicide. We hope to start conversations and create change through the Out of the Darkness Walk,” Olivia says.
This year, Olivia’s mother, Sandra Baltazar, will be one of the featured speakers, sharing her journey of pain, grief, and acceptance surrounding Esther’s death. While it will be hard for the family, Olivia knows that the more people talk and share about suicide, the more chance there is to save someone suffering today.
“I miss my sister every day and I hope that she is proud of the work we are doing to save others,” summarizes Olivia. “If she were alive, she would be advocating right along with us.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Olympia Out of the Darkness Community Walk
September 27, 2014 at 10:00 a.m.
Marathon Park in Olympia
OlympiaOutOfTheDarkness@gmail.com
