This July, Transform said goodbye to two wonderful program staffers who are moving on to new and exciting adventures. Jasmine Law (pictured above, far left) will be beginning a master’s degree in urban and regional planning at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Mario Valadez (pictured above, center) will be returning to the University of California, Berkeley this fall to pursue a master of city planning as an Arcus Social Justice Corps fellow.

Mario Valadez

In his time at Transform, Mario brought his insights and warmth to Oakland Making Moves, the Mobility Hubs project, and, last but not least, Safe Routes to Schools. And he joined Transform in not one but two Climate Rides! 

We’ll miss hearing about what bike rides, marathons, and danzas Mario took part of on weekends. As he leaves us to resume his studies at UC Berkeley and we know Mario is going to continue to bring positive change to the world, just as he did at Transform.

In his own words:

“I’m going to miss everyone at Transform and all the wonderful SR2S school champions, students, and families I’ve connected with over the past three years! Although I joined Transform to work on the SR2S team, I’m appreciative of the opportunity to also work on transportation and housing legislation at all levels of government. I’ve learned lots of valuable skills and lessons that I will take with me in my next phase, which will be pursuing a Master of City Planning at UC Berkeley. I’ll be just a short bike ride up the road and I’m sure my path will lead me back to Transform in one way or another!”

Jasmine Law

Jasmine has been an incredible asset to our Mobility Hubs and Safe Routes to Schools programs. During her time at Transform, she led International Walk and Roll to School Day and the Alameda Bike Fest for the city of Alameda. 

Jasmine is also returning to school, pursuing a degree at UCLA. We will miss her thoughtfulness, wittiness, and amazing accessories. We are sad to see her go but excited for her where this next chapter will take her

In her words:

“Over my time at Transform, I’ve gained so much experience engaging with schools, cities, and partners through my Safe Routes to Schools and Mobility Hubs work. I’m so grateful for the opportunities to work with so many wonderful people and organize amazing events like the Alameda Bike Festival! I will take my knowledge and experience of fun community engagement to my future endeavors at UCLA and beyond.”