Ale’ah Bashir-Boaqee

Ale'ah Bashir-Boaqee found out about The Crucible at an all-girls welding workshop, and soon enough, was taking two classes each week of Summer Camp, every summer she could. After taking fifteen classes on scholarship, she joined the Fuego Youth Leadership Program, and says the scholarship opportunities given to West Oakland kids is crucial.

“People are more proactive in their lives when they know they have somewhere to go,” she says. “I’ve noticed now, as some of the Fuego interns are growing up and having more hardships in their life, they know they always have an opportunity here at The Crucible,” she says. “The people here are definitely a family and will always help those who came through the program.”