Sandy "Sakinah" Gutierrez
This interview is with Sandy “Sakinah” Gutierrez, a Colombian-American revert to Islam and co-founder of the non-profit IslamInSpanish. Sakinah tells the story of being a spiritual seeker alongside her husband, and how the two ultimately found fulfillment in Islam. She talks about how several members of their family decided to accept Islam due to the example and education she and her husband offered. Sakinah also discusses the founding and growth of IslamInSpanish, whose mission is to make information about Islam available to Spanish-speaking Latinos.
Jessica Disla
This interview is with Jessica Disla, a member of the IslamInSpanish community and an aspiring teacher. Jessica talks about growing up and family dynamics in a Dominican-American family in Dominican Republic and New York City. She shares her journey in her career and education and is currently working towards her bachelor’s in education in order to teach ESL. She discusses spiritual seeking and asking difficult questions about religion, and how her curiosity eventually led to IslamInSpanish and her conversion to Islam. Jessica describes her love for the IslamInSpanish community and the many ways she participates in it.
Tina Byram
This interview is with Tina Byram, an advocate active in local politics in the extra-territorial jurisdiction of Hornsby Bend. Tina talks about her work advocating for underserved members of her community who do not have the time or resources to get involved in local politics. She describes the differences between political activity at the local level versus the national level, including overlooked issues such as shifting districts and water privatization. She also tells about her journey through local activism, which has involved non-profit work, collaboration with representatives, and voter registration.
Tiffany Puett
This interview is with Tiffany Puett, the founder and director of the Institute for Diversity and Civic Life, in Austin, TX. Tiffany describes her childhood in small town America and the influence of evangelical Christianity on the culture. They talk about exploring different religious communities during college, then later about how they exposed their children to religion. She shares about her educational journey up through a PhD in religious studies as well as her work experience in interfaith and religion education. They discuss the founding of IDCL, its challenges and goals, and their hopes for both the organization and Texas.