On the third day of Poverty Action Week, we highlight the essential workers in our own community, botrh on campus and in the surrounding area. Check out our Instagram for a photo carousel of pictures featured in The Bottom Line newspaper, taken by photographer Graeme Jackson, spotlighting many essential workers who remained an integral part of the Isla Vista and Goleta area and continued working to keep our community safe and functioning.

We also interview a UCSB student essential worker who was let go at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to further explore the reality essential workers faced over the last year. Rebecca Chavez, third year Sociology and Chicanx Studies double major, shared her personal experiences during the pandemic and challenges she faced while navigating unemployment during a hard time.