Conversation with Pedro Carreno
Summer 2023
We are grateful to TEL 2020- 21 Cohort member, Pedro L. Carreño, for speaking with us about his leadership journey since TEL.
Two years ago Pedro decided to follow his calling to take on a role at Transcend, an organization dedicated to changing the paradigm in education. With Transcend, Pedro supports local communities to embark on redesign journeys to co-create schooling experiences that truly meet the needs of their children, families, and larger communities.
Inner Transformation Is Core
Through TEL, Pedro realized that, “inner transformation is at the core” of all outer transformation. During his time in TEL and since, Pedro shared that he has been on a personal and professional journey of getting to know himself, his values, and how they manifest in his life. This continued process of inner transformation is “what helps guide my work and the alignment that I now feel within my work… it’s what helps guide how I show up in spaces, whether it's at schools that I work with, whether it's with students that I support, whether it's with my own family and friends.”
Showing Up Authentically for Yourself and Others
For Pedro, knowing who he is “feels light, it feels joyful” but it was not always easy. He shared that, “as a queer man of color, society has certain parameters that are put on you on how you are allowed to, or supposed to show up within society.” He has come to see the best of who he is and also the ways he mal-adapted just in order to survive. But Pedro reflected that by taking off his armor and allowing his authentic self to show up, “that has allowed others to do the same, to bring their full selves into spaces and places where they did not feel that belonging.”
Joy and Pleasure in Our Schools
Pedro noted that “joy and pleasure are two big things that feel very devoid from schools lately." He shared his experience working with schools in New Mexico where despite the challenges in their communities, the adults understand the need to deepen relationships and create a sense of emotional safety. As Pedro shared, when “school feels like a home,” then instances of joy and connection can flourish. Pedro also touched on the need for spaciousness and spontaneity in schools, as rigid schedules and overburdened days can hinder authentic connections and joy. In his work with school communities, he saw that “when there’s time to connect with others… we get that pleasure of being in community with each other, and that was a revelation for folks.”
Transformative Impact
Pedro described his work with schools in the Rio Grande Valley where they embarked on design journeys to identify assets and make necessary shifts to embrace a ‘whole adult, whole child’ approach. Knowing that inner transformation was key led him to ask, “how can I support the administration and the teachers to really internalize what this work can and should look like?” Pedro led his school leaders and teachers in circle practices to help them understand what it takes to be in a circle and a community. Despite pushing against the community’s cultural norms, including how men are not allowed to show their emotions, the Principals and staff began to realize that this was exactly the work that they needed to be doing as a community. Pedro shared that the shift in mindsets and commitment “really made a big impact, which spread throughout the schools and throughout the district.”
Identity and Opening New Possibilities
Pedro also shared insights on how his identity and intersectionality means that, “sometimes I am in positions of power, and in different times I have less power.” He has led some difficult conversations with school teams in South Texas to explore how different levels of identity and intersectionality exist within seemingly homogenous communities. These conversations helped community leaders to ask how they showed up for themselves and for their students, and to shift their mindset and expectations for their students. As Pedro shared, “particularly for smaller, rural communities where not many options are available, I think schools play such an important part in opening a sense of possibility in the world. And… that is connected to Identity work. It's like: Yes, this is who I am, this is where I come from, but there's so much more out there, and there's so much more fullness that I can tap into.”
Co-creating Beloved Community
Forming the deep connections to his cohort in TEL became an ‘aha’ moment for Pedro in realizing that THEY were the key to developing beloved community. He said it became clear that “we get to make it, we get to build it in the ways that make sense for us… and we’re in this together.” With his cohort group, they came up with their name, ‘The Hydrating Mushrooms’ and learned to ask each other, “what is it that we need in this moment? Do we need that spaciousness to just connect on a personal level, and hold space with one another? Do we need to celebrate each other… or do we need to offer support?” Pedro explained that the freedom to dream and create together was essential. In other words, “how do we imagine a liberated future if we haven't lived it? What are the moments where we feel a glimmer of this? And how can we be intentional about the ways that we continue to cultivate that future we want?”
Practices That Sustain Our Spirit
Finally, Pedro shared about practices that sustain his spirit and provide a sense of healing. First, communing in nature is a grounding practice that connects him to the beauty that is our shared Earth. Pedro also practices being intentional about building community, and these two practices remind him that “it’s bigger than just me, and it’s because it’s all of us - we’re all connected.” One final practice Pedro offered was dance. He remembered how at the mid-year retreat at TEL there were a couple of heavy days but then they put on the Whitney Houston song, ‘I just want to dance with somebody.’ As he shared, “that was a beautiful reminder for all of us to find ways to bring a little joy, to release, to allow your body to feel free and connected.”