Personal Perspective: Gabrielle Gonzales

Gabrielle Gonzales, Opinion Editor • March 11, 2025

Gabrielle Gonzales (12) reads her Book of Common Prayer, gifted during her Confirmation. The book guided her spiritual practice and set intention for her days.

At my desk, I am an academic. At Poods and Prince, I am a skateboarder. At The End, I am a chronic vintage lover. At Verbatim Books and Folk Arts Rare Records, I continually seek knowledge. These environments and outward forms of expression reflect my sense of self, and together, they reveal a part of who I am.

They also automatically assign me to and bar me from certain identities and their subsequent stereotypes. In the classroom, teachers are surprised to hear I’m a lifelong skateboarder, and some classmates discredit my skate abilities because of my long dresses, leather boots and polka dot shoulder bags. At the skatepark, I’m regarded as just another aspiring skater who would sacrifice a traditional education for a corporate sponsorship. These doubts and questions of who I am do not faze me, but assumptions surrounding a more personal aspect of my identity do.

The characteristic most revealing of my inward and intimate self is my faith. To me, faith is living grounded, to strive toward understanding and wisdom, empathy, and most of all, character. Faith is kind, faith is loving and my faith is purposeful. The faith I know opens doors, eyes, minds and hearts, yet I’ve been disheartened by negative stereotypes of being the “Christian girl.”

The issue with stereotypes is not that they are always false, but that they miss the greater, sometimes more accurate, picture. Christianity is often associated with the single story of a fiery, disapproving and exclusionary religion. To some, it seems like the “cool” or liberal aspects of my identity contradict Christianity. I’ve encountered a lack of knowledge and appreciation for affirming and inclusive religious spaces. I’ve also questioned why accepting mindsets can fail to extend to religion.

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A core Christian value is love: to love one another and ourselves and to believe in God’s love for us. Without intention, the word “love” has no meaning. But with action, effort and purpose, love is vulnerable, empowering and fills you with resolve. This is what my faith is all about: to love powerfully and with no exceptions.

If love was at the center of our decisions and interactions, empathy would mend this world of hate and misunderstanding. I embody my faith as a tool for connection and progress, and living by these beliefs allows me to challenge widely-accepted stereotypes and embrace all aspects of my identity.

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About the Contributors

Gabrielle Gonzales, Opinion Editor

Jumping into the 2024-2025 school year, Gabrielle Gonzales is excited to enjoy her senior year of high school and her second year as part of the Falconer staff. Gonzales’ interest in journalism and love for opinion writing flourished in middle school, where she was opinion editor for her school’s newspaper, The Python. She is excited to work as Opinion Editor this year and hear the voices of the Falconer staff. Gonzales loves to learn about the world around her through journalism by connecting with others and sharing stories. Outside the newsroom, you can find Gonzales at the skatepark, the beach, her favorite vintage store, reading a history book or listening to music. One of her greatest passions, which began at seven years old, is skateboarding; you can spot her instructing at the Ecke YMCA Skate Park, preparing for a competition, or skating around San Diego with her friends. As Gonzales tackles her final year of high school, she focuses on her courses, her friendships, skating and ultimately growing as a person. As her high school years come to an end, Gonzales makes the most of her time and dedicates herself to the amazing Falconer.

Sarina Feng, Feature Editor

As she embarks on the second half of her high school journey, Sarina Feng is excited to begin her second year on the Falconer by taking on the role of Feature Editor. Feng joined the Falconer as a staff writer during her sophomore year, inspired by journalism’s ability to amplify voices that often go unheard. With a keen attention to detail and a touch of creativity, she is committed to exploring and spotlighting the diverse, remarkable stories within the community. When not in the newsroom or buried under homework, Feng finds joy in her artistic pursuits and passion projects. She can be found scribbling down lines of poetry, sketching while immersed in hour-long video essays, working on technology projects, or making attempts at photography with her twenty-year-old camera. A lover of music, beachside strolls, surrealist art, and multitasking, Feng is ready for another year of lasting memories and growth as both a student journalist and individual.