Daily Inspiration: Meet Carolina Alonzo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carolina Alonzo.

Hi Carolina, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in the Carl Hayden neighborhood in West Phoenix, the same place generations of my family called home. My grandparents were migrant farm workers, immigrants and brave. They built a life from nothing, and I come from that same grit and determination. My roots run deep in West Phoenix, they are in those streets. I went to school along Roosevelt, from elementary school all the way to Carl Hayden, where I graduated in 2008. I earned a full-ride academic scholarship to the University of Arizona.

Though I loved sports and had dreams of maybe playing college softball, I chose education, knowing my family couldn’t afford college without that scholarship. I originally planned to become a neurosurgeon, but through my studies, I discovered the social sciences and a deeper understanding about the systems that had destabilized communities like mine. That shifted everything. I graduated in 2012 with a degree in Mexican American/Chicano Studies. Three months later, I became a mother to my son, Alex Esai.

In 2014, I started working at the Department of Child Safety. It was tough work, and honestly, I wasn’t sure I could do it—but I needed the job. Within a few months, I realized I wasn’t just working a job; I had found my calling. I saw it as a way to protect families, not tear them apart. I applied to the Child Welfare Education Program, earned my MSW from ASU in 2020, and became a licensed social worker in July 2021.

In 2021, I joined the Phoenix Union High School District— and the following spring, my former coach invited me back to Carl Hayden—to coach softball. I hadn’t imagined myself coaching, but it turned out to be exactly what I needed. I began with the freshman and JV teams and became head coach in 2024.

That same year, we partnered with the Arizona Diamondbacks to launch the Nike RBI Softball league at Carl Hayden, aimed at reviving softball in underserved communities. In just their second year, our team went undefeated at the West Region Tournament in Seattle July 26th-28th, punching their ticket to the World Series and upsetting the reigning champs 7–6 in the final inning. We head to Vero Beach, Florida August 10th-16th for the World Series. Wish us luck!

So, when you ask me where I started—I was just a Chicana girl from the neighborhood, full of big dreams that didn’t always feel possible. Life hit hard. But, I found my way back to serve the same community that raised me. Today, I’m a licensed clinical social worker, a head softball coach, and most importantly, a proud mom to a 12-year-old boy who is the light of my life. I do this work so the next generation knows they belong. That they’re seen. So they know they are deserving. And that nothing is impossible.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Nothing in life ever really goes smoothly, does it? For me, it’s always been tough—one way or another. Life circumstances, family, loss, grief, mental health, motherhood. My parents sacrificed so much and raised me to be strong, but that strength was rooted in survival. For generations, the Alonzo and Moreno families have lived in that cycle—getting through, holding on, surviving.

So when I reached a point where I wasn’t just surviving anymore, I felt lost. What do you do when the fight isn’t constant? What comes after survival? I wasn’t sure.

Motherhood, while the most beautiful gift, is also brutal. I live with a constant ache of worry for my little human, especially in the world we live in today. But my son, Alex, is the reason I started looking beyond just getting by. He made me realize that I owed him more than resilience. I owed him a legacy of compassion, understanding, and emotional intelligence.

Doing the work on my own mental health healing what was never healed for generations has not been easy. But it was necessary. If I wanted to be the best version of myself, and the best mom to Alex, I had to face it all.

Self-doubt and imposter syndrome have made the road even bumpier. It’s hard not to internalize what the world says about people like me—brown, single mothers. That we’re less worthy of success. That ambition is selfish. That being vocal, strong, and an advocate for marginalized communities is somehow “too much.”

But I’m learning that those are lies designed to keep us small. And I refuse to shrink especially when my son is watching.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with the Phoenix Union High School District, currently starting my fifth year at Phoenix Digital Academy, our district’s online school. My specialty is working with adolescents. They’re truly my bread and butter. While so many shy away from working with teens, I’ve found them to be some of the most wounded but honest, kind, and loving individuals you’ll ever meet. Online social work was not a fan favorite for many of the district’s seasoned folks accustomed to in-person interactions. But I came in with no expectations and hit the ground running. Since then, it’s been incredibly rewarding to build a program tailored specifically for online students and families. It’s allowed me to design services that are not only effective, but also meet students where they are and right in their homes.

Outside of my work in the district, I launched my private practice, Buena Onda Social Work, in May 2025. Starting my own practice was both scary and exciting especially as the first in my family to step into both the mental health and business worlds. Buena Onda was created with the neighborhood in mind. Though still in its early stages, my mission is rooted in holding space for the hood and for our collective wounds while honoring the generational strength that runs through our communities. I am really proud of this project and where it can go.

In addition to my clinical work, I also serve as the varsity softball coach at Carl Hayden High School. I’m heading into my fifth year in this role, something I never expected but now cherish deeply. Coaching has given me the chance to create a space where girls not only learn softball, but also find belonging. In a community where it can sometimes be hard to hold onto something positive, our field has become a place of pride, joy, and connection for these young athletes.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
With the current state of the world, particularly the political climate in the US and in Arizona, I feel like my industry will continue to thrive for really sad reasons. For fear, uncertainty, discrimination, deportation and how all of those things are impacting daily mental health. If we continue being at the mercy of some big political shifts, the trend of hopelessness and sadness will continue. So, that feels like a lose lose for me in the sense that yes perhaps my business will do well but at what cost to the community around me? In this line of work we have to hope for the best and stay grounded ready for the shoe to drop.

With softball, right now more than ever the sport is so visible with the creation of Athletes Unlimited Softball League or AUSL. It feels like women are finally getting recognition on the field that they deserve. Softball is such an exciting game and the growing interest will only continue to catapult the league further. I cannot wait to see where it goes and how it gives girls another dream to work for.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buenaondasw?igsh=ZTh0Mmp2bTliZ2E4&utm_source=qr

Image Credits
Jaelyn Mae Photography