Auner Barrios Vasquez was born in San Cristobal Cucho, San Marcos, Guatemala. Brought to the U.S. at 8 months old in hopes of obtaining a better life and education, Auner was raised in San Mateo, CA. Although he grew up among a diversity of cultures in the Bay Area, Auner also witnessed firsthand social inequities in his hometown of San Mateo and that of San Francisco. 

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As a first-generation student, Auner embarked on his journey of higher education where he was met with setbacks and hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Having known he was undocumented since he was 14, Auner sought out opportunities to thrive in his newly found home at the College of San Mateo. As he pursued his education majoring in Computer Science, he found a home at the MultiCultural Center and Undocumented Community Center. In his first semester at the College of San Mateo, he was chosen to be in the inaugural cohort for the Unlocking Futures fellowship. Throughout his two years in the fellowship, he ensured to be an advocate for those who didn’t feel had a voice, especially for those in the Undocumented community with his work with the San Mateo Community College Undocu-Coalition. 

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Through this life-changing experience, Auner realized that he wanted to continue working within the social justice model, yet it wasn’t until joining DreamSF Fellowship and being placed at Good Samaritan Family Resource Center where he will be assisting newcomer families. Through his placement with Good Samaritan and the DreamSF Fellowship Auner, work has found the intersectionality of social justice, advocacy, and computer science.

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Aside from his professional development, Auner is a wild card: you never know what he’s going to do next! He loves exploring, listening to music, spending quality time with his loved ones and going on spontaneous adventures.