Meet our 2025 New York Youth Advisory Board
Amy Thomas (she/her) Amy Thomas is passionate about health care and higher education policy. She joined the New York Advisory Board because it presents a unique platform to channel her passion for improving health care accessibility and affordability. As an undergraduate student in the Sophie Davis/CUNY School of Medicine 7-year BS/MD program at City College of New York, Amy is deeply immersed in the health care sector and recognizes the challenges individuals face in accessing essential care. Being part of this advisory board allows her to actively contribute to initiatives that can bring about positive change in health care policies and practices in New York. She is eager to leverage her insights as a student to advocate for solutions that ensure everyone receives the care they need and deserve.
Carina V. Santos Taveras (she/her) Carina V. Santos Taveras is a former case manager and community organizer currently employed by the Department of Education. She is a proud graduate of Hunter College and Bronx Community College, as well as an alumna of CUNY’s Malave Leadership Academy and the Eye to Eye mentorship program. In her free time, she can be found participating in yoga and reading groups. Carina joined YAB because she wants to make a difference in her community by gaining a deeper understanding of the political process and having the opportunity to address issues that affect daily lives, such as mental health and education. She aims to organize and engage in deep conversations about inclusion and accessibility.
Clifford Robin Temprosa Li (he/him/his) Clifford Robin Temprosa Li, is a TEDx speaker, nonprofit leader, political strategist, and entrepreneur building power for Asian American communities across the United States. He is the Founder and Managing Consultant of Dare to Change Consulting, Inc., a strategy firm that has secured over $60 million in funding and hundreds of public contracts for Asian nonprofits and immigrant-led organizations. Clifford is also the creator of Margins Of, a storytelling platform where Asian American narratives shape democracy, challenge stereotypes, and drive civic power. Born in the Philippines, Gen Z, and proudly Filipino and Chinese, he has led record-breaking campaigns, launched national civic programs, and championed fiscal and legislative policy wins for marginalized communities. From boardrooms to ballot boxes, his work bridges strategy, identity, and impact. He is a member of Delta Epsilon Psi Fraternity, Inc., and serves on the boards of several national organizations, with a deep commitment to equity, youth leadership, and cultural legacy. Clifford joined the Youth Advisory Board to help reimagine what power looks like when it’s rooted in youth, culture, and lived experience. Young people aren’t just the future, we’re the frontline of change. He is here to ensure our stories shape the systems we’re navigating, and that every decision-making space reflects the brilliance, urgency, and leadership of a multiracial, multiethnic, and multigenerational collective.
Christine Williams (she/her/they/them) Christine Sheila Williams is an ardent advocate for social justice and equity. With a steadfast commitment to Black liberation and dismantling the carceral system, she actively addresses systemic inequities through artistry and activism. Her work with the Public Theater is a testament to her dedication, as she brings theater workshops to those incarcerated, offering creative expression and self-exploration within the carceral system. At Collective Focus, a mutual aid resource hub, Christine plays a crucial role in combating food insecurity by coordinating free food distributions. As a StoryCollider producer, she showcases diverse human narratives through compelling storytelling events. Joining Young Invincibles’ Youth Advisory Board, Christine channels her passion for advocating mental health care access and affordability, housing stability, and food security for young adults. Her belief in the power of collective action and storytelling drives her to shape policy and amplify young voices for impactful societal change.
Jacqueline Ordóñez (she/her) Jacqueline Ordóñez, a 19-year-old student at New York University, is double majoring in International Relations and Sociology with a minor in Public Policy. Raised in New York City, specifically Queens, she remains committed to actively engaging in grassroots initiatives, advocacy work, and lobbying efforts aimed at dismantling systemic injustices that disproportionately impact marginalized communities and people of color. Having previously served under YI’s Young Advocates Program, where she vocalized the issues affecting young adults in New York City, Jacqueline now steps into her role on the Youth Advisory Board, aiming to use her platform to continue amplifying the voices of young adults whose future lies at the hands of those in power. As a Youth Advisory Board member, she remains steadfast in her commitment to uplifting the voices of young adults in New York City.
Kevin Duarte (he/him) Kevin Duarte is an organizer and activist residing in Westchester County and has dedicated his career to education and empowerment for the working immigrant community. He learned about the work of Young Invincibles through a mentor. He believes the NY Youth Advisory Board is an opportunity for him to learn and share what he has learned, so he can continue to shape a different world. He looks forward to doing inspiring work and thinks the NY YAB is the right place to witness that.
Louis Paniccioli (he/him) Louis Paniccioli joined the New York Youth Advisory Board to learn how to collaborate to integrate young people into politics beyond the grassroots level while addressing the core issues that drive socioeconomic inequality. Aside from the mission and values of YAB being in alignment with his own, he firmly believes that to create a better world, we must first make health care, education, and employment systems affordable, accessible, equitable, and inclusive for all.
Max Garcia (he/him) Max Garcia is a senior at the City College of New York, majoring in Political Science. He is creative, having written a couple of plays and worked on music that he has released in the last few months. He joined the New York Youth Advisory Board because he is passionate about helping people and making a difference. While he thought he understood the extent of the issues facing his communities in New York City, his time in the Young Advocates Program showed him that he was only scratching the surface. Max wants to help as many people as he can and believes that joining the New York Youth Advisory Board is a great first step toward that goal.
Melissa Vicente (she/her) Melissa Vicente is a junior at the City College of New York (CCNY), majoring in political science with a minor in legal studies. Her decision to join the New York Advisory Board is rooted in her experience as a young advocate for Young Invincibles. Through this role, she had the opportunity to sharpen her policy skills, particularly in areas aligned with the board’s focus. Having delved into policy and advocacy professionally in the past, she finds immense value in continuing this work. As a college student, she believes her unique perspective can bring valuable insights to the discussions on these crucial topics. Melissa is eager to contribute her passion and knowledge to the New York Advisory Board, leveraging her background to actively engage in meaningful dialogue and decision-making processes.
Melody Garcia (they/them) With a “Queens is Forever” attitude, Melody Garcia is a current senior at Hunter College aspiring to help build up their community and beyond to make it work in an equitable, holistic, and humanistic way, embracing all its silliness. Melody hopes to impart their experiences and advice to this board to fulfill their belief that we should make it better in the future than how it is for us now.
Onyekachi Okeke (she/her) Onyekachi, or Onye for short, is a proud two-time CUNY alumna, from Borough of Manhattan Community College and Hunter College. Formerly participating in Young Invincibles as a Young Advocate in Spring 2022, she accredits YI as a great influence in her passion for advocacy and community engagement. Onye is especially interested in higher education, racial and transformative justice, health care, and basic needs. As a YAB member, she hopes to continue fighting for her peers to obtain the best services possible. She also aspires to assist in the effort of making the New Deal for CUNY a reality. In her free time, she likes reading, writing, taking walks, watching videos, and baking.
Tara Hernandez (she/her/they) Tara is a first-generation Afro-Latina immigrant originating from the Dominican Republic. As an alumna of The City College of New York, she served as VP of Student Affairs for Undergraduate Student Government and broke into community philanthropy, prioritizing and providing student experiences at all opportunities for change. Always describing herself as a leader and activist, joining the Youth Advisory Board was an important step in continuing the groundwork set during her VP term, carrying on her fierce passion and serving as a beacon for innovation. Alongside YI’s unwavering commitment to elevating young advocates, she hopes to gather the tools to elevate, represent, and lead change for young adults like herself.