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Rising Stars: Meet Destiny Ceja of Santa Ana/Berkeley

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Destiny Ceja

Hi Destiny, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My story is composed of a melody that hums resilience. I knew what it meant to survive and struggle, before I ever knew what it was like to live life.
But, most of the time I say I am a proud Santanero, I come from a beautiful community called Santa Ana in California. I am the eldest of five. I was raised by a single mother, who has taught me what it is to be a strong-willed and brave woman. My father is a hard-working immigrant who works two jobs and never sleeps more than two hours a day. In my youth, I often slept in cars, on other people’s living room floors, or jumped from house to house. I grew up troubled and rebellious, I was a child adjusting to the restraints of long years of discrimination and systematic oppression. My life started when I began to compete in Speech and Debate, a blessing, and when I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, a gift. I have written my name in history and pursue an education to do it again, but this time, I plan to change the course of it. My hobbies are acting and modeling but oh! by the way, I am a pre-med student at the #1 Public University in the world, UC Berkeley, and I am majoring in Neuroscience and Public Health.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I have often been told I am “too young,” but these words have never been spoken with encouragement. At twelve, I was told I was “too young” to be diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, a chronic musculoskeletal disorder that would leave me in constant pain for the rest of my life. At seventeen, I was told I was “too young” to fight for the rights of Mexican refugees and immigrants, “too young” to bear the weight of their struggles. I have been told I am “too young” to work two jobs, balancing my family’s financial pressures while attending college. Yet, as a child, I remember the discomfort of sleeping in cars, the cold pavement when my single mother had no other place to turn, and the gnawing hunger of depriving myself of school lunch just to share it with my siblings for dinner. As the eldest, I was always acutely aware of my youth as I witnessed firsthand the government’s neglect toward my community, especially as an Indigenous Mexican woman. My mother, always a pillar of strength, would say to me in our native tongue, “y echale ganas,” meaning “to keep going and not give up”—words that have driven me forward in every aspect of my life.
Growing up with a chronic disorder and navigating healthcare with my immigrant father and grandmother, shaped my perspective on healthcare. There was a lack of representation and actual love for people. My experiences with the healthcare system have often been frustrating, underscoring the need for greater access to care.
Living with a chronic illness has been a challenge I face every day. Despite the pain, I am an overachiever by nature—driven to push beyond what is expected of me. There are times when it becomes unbearable to walk, speak, or even breathe, but I continue forward with precision, fierce determination, and an unwavering desire to help others who are suffering. I find fulfillment in this pursuit, knowing that my resilience is part of the change I wish to see in the world.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I love what it means to be a blessing. I am known for many things. In my city, I am known as a Champion. Within Speech and Debate, I was a part of the first ever all-female team to win a National Championship in the National Speech and Debate Association in 2021. What was even better? We were all Latina, and did it again in 2022. During that career, I retold stories from my community and ancestors and advocated for the rights and voices of immigrants. I created history. At school, I am known for my talents and passions. I do editorial and runway modeling, I also do on-screen acting for short films, and I love to share my journey on social media. I currently work as a Coach for the same Speech and Debate program I was in when I was young, Advantage Communications. For my work-study job, I do the same for the students in the Richmond School District with Practice Space. I volunteer with physicians who do tele-health clinics for immigrants from all over Latina America with an organization called Miracle Clinicians Network by helping translate and file patient information. I have heard such tragic and horrifying stories from people who look just like me. And when I look at them, all I see are these beautiful and loving people, always with dark chocolate brown eyes weighed by the heaviness of life. In my family, I am known as a loved one. So when I am asked, what do I do and what I am known for, what am I most proud of? I say I am proud of my people and the way I am able to love them, the way I represent them in both the joyous and dynamic of ways.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
There is a story within my name.
Destiny. The name came from a woman who was told by medical professionals, because of trauma her physical body endured as a child, would never be able to bear any of her own. One night, this woman’s partner awoke in the dead of night. He recounts the story always the same; he awakened to see a large glowing creature with wings at the end of the bed, this figure simply pointed to the woman. The man, having seen her stomach glow the same, says to me “I saw you… I woke up your mom and told her she was pregnant.” Though he was frantic and terrified when he awakened my mother, she also says it to be true.
Brijettney. The middle name that is nowhere to be replicated or found because it was created by my mother, a beautiful and comforting reminder when I seem miles away from her.
Ceja. Coming from the lineage of my biological father, we descended from a now forgotten Indigenous tribe deep in the land of Mexico. Many years ago, a violent and devastating war took place in the deep central-west where my ancestors fled and hid in a valley called “El Valle de las Cejas” or “The Eyebrow Valley.” As the government soldiers advanced, my ancestors abandoned their native names and adopted the last name of “Ceja” in order to not be identified.
The story of my name radiates resilience, it is the true essence of my bones.

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