I Am San Diego - StoryCorps Studios
I AM SAN DIEGO is a citywide project that invites San Diegans to share their San Diego stories and experiences. The City collaborated with StoryCorps Studios to record conversations between people at the San Diego Central Library in the summer of 2024.
The goal of this project is to build greater self-awareness, empathy and understanding around how valuing diversity is an essential aspect to sustaining inclusive and equitable communities.
Join the conversation on social media #IAmSanDiego.
Featured Conversations
Robert Logan and Jason Shanley
San Diego Fire Chief Robert Logan speaks with his friend and colleague, Capt. Jason Shanley, about how his life experiences led to where he is today and what it means to come back and serve the community where he grew up.
Fernando Hernandez and Moises Villalpando
Educators Moises Villalpando and Fernando Hernandez both work at Perkins Elementary School in San Diego's Barrio Logan neighborhood, where a large percentage of families experience homelessness. Moises and Fernando talk about the lengths they've gone to to make sure their students have an exceptional educational experience, including a memorable trip to Washington, D.C.
Luis Montero-Adams and Brendan Dentino
Luis Montero-Adams grew up going to school in San Diego, but his family lived in Tijuana, Mexico. He speaks with his friend, Brendan Dentino, about the support system that enabled his education and how he tries to bring that same level of support to his family and community as an adult.
Pauline Bronstein
Librarian Pauline Bronstein talks about her experiences working at the San Diego Central Library and why this space is so important for the local community.
Julie and Samantha Corrales
Sisters Julie and Samantha Corrales discuss how gentrification has changed the San Diego neighborhood they grew up in. They reflect on what it means to be from San Diego and Julie's ongoing work to strengthen the communities they call home.
Francesca de Vera and Karla Pacheco
Friends and colleagues, Francesca de Vera and Karla Pacheco, work together at the San Diego Central Library. Francesca tells Karla about how her strong family role models and the ups and downs of her queer journey brought her to her work as a librarian.
Kim and Glenda Duclo
Kim Duclo speaks with his mother, Glenda Duclo, about his 25 years of service as park ranger for the City of San Diego, from novice missteps to acts of heroism.
Murli Gudi and Sameera Rao
Spouses Murli Gudi and Sameera Rao have lived in San Diego for over a decade. They reflect on the initial culture shock they experienced moving there after growing up in India, and what it’s like raising their kids in San Diego now.
Benjamin and Kirin Macapugay
Kirin Macapugay remembers a happy childhood growing up in southeast San Diego. But as she reached adolescence in the 1990s, her community experienced a rise in Asian and Pacific Islander gangs. Kirin tells her husband, Benjamin Macapugay, about a pivotal encounter with gun violence that inspired a lifetime of community-building work.
Alejandro Riveron
Alejandro Riveron speaks about growing up in San Diego, where he has learned to embrace his many intersecting identities, as a Latino, a skateboarder, a surfer, and an artist. Alejandro was one of ten artists to contribute to a mural in Barrio Logan's Chicano Park celebrating the Brown Image Car Club.
Maya and David Sciarretta
David Sciarretta speaks with his daughter, Maya, about moving to San Diego as a young adult. Having grown up in San Diego, Maya had a different experience than her dad, but together they reflect on what makes the city feel like home.
Prajna Valipireddy and Gordon Boerner
Gordon Boerner was deeply impacted by, and heavily involved in, the aftermath of the Cedar Fire that tore through the San Diego neighborhood of Scripps Ranch in 2003. He talks with his young neighbor, Prajna Valipireddy, about what he and other community leaders learned from the experience.
To hear more recordings from the
I Am San Diego project, visit the
City of San Diego/StoryCorps archive page.
Members of the San Diego community are also invited to share their own stories.
Check out past stories from the I Am San Diego project.