Meet our California Young Advocates
Jazmin Hernandez
Why did you join the Young Advocates Program? I decided to join the YAP because I want to learn the skills necessary to be an advocate for those who can’t. This program gives me the opportunity to become more self-aware of my strengths and weaknesses to help me in my future as an advocate. I enjoy learning about new ways to help those around me.
Lauren Stanger
Why did you join the Young Advocates Program? To be a part of something that helps create a better system for higher education and housing for students.
Amanda Barba
Why did you join the Young Advocates Program? I decided to join the YAP to further my skills to aide my community within the Central Valley. I value what YI stands for and how inclusive they are of the younger advocates who would like to make a change in our society.
Mina Anochie
Why did you join the Young Advocates Program? I want to help amplify the voices and needs of my community and generation through policy advocacy, research, and community activism.
Jonathan Isaiah Rodgers
Why did you join the Young Advocates Program? I wanted to learn more about how to use my voice and platforms to speak on on disparities and injustices I have been thinking about. I felt this would be a good way to learn and practice this and be an excellent voice in the future.
Abigail Cole
Why did you join the Young Advocates Program? I decided to join the YAP because I believed the experience would allow me to have a space to learn ways to better represent and advocate for marginalized young people like me. By making my voice heard regarding some important issues of higher education, health care access, and debt which my generation faces, I hope to be a change maker taking after much of the staff that make up Young Invincibles.
Jacob Bramlage
Why did you join the Young Advocates Program? I want to learn how to better my community and be an active part of positive change for myself and others.
Jenavie Rivera
Why did you join the Young Advocates Program? I decided to join the YAP so that I could learn how to better support the youth and minorities in my community.
Marisa Johnson
Why did you join the Young Advocates Program? I wanted to gain advocacy and community organizing skills to better myself professionally and personally.
Bionca Benard
Why did you join the Young Advocates Program? I decided to join the YAP because I wanted to be a part of an organization really dedicated to helping young people like me. I also wanted to learn as much as I could about advocacy to help the young people like me.
Frankie Michael Bays
Why did you join the Young Advocates Program? I joined the YAP to learn advocacy skills so I could help the voices of communities in need be heard by the people in power who could help them. I’ve seen the night and day, life saving difference that just a bit of support in having needs met can make.
Jaspreet Khatra
Why did you join the Young Advocates Program? I joined the YAP because I wanted to learn more on how to be a better advocate as well as figure out what sort of career paths are available. Secondly, I joined because I love this organization and what it stands for and wanted to be part of it.
Kalkidan Alemayehu
Why did you join the Young Advocates Program? I joined YAP to gain a structured education on advocacy and grassroots organizing and apply that knowledge in the hands-on experience this program offers. As a large bonus, YI is a progressive organization fighting for the most disenfranchised youth, which I will admit I didn’t understand deeply until this internship.
Stephanie Bennett
Why did you join the Young Advocates Program? I wanted to better understand the steps of advocacy!
Brandon Zuniga
Why did you join the Young Advocates Program? I decided to join the YAP to improve my advocacy skill in our to better help my community.
Jazmine Brianna Chism
Why did you join the Young Advocates Program?I decided to join the YAP to learn how to advocate for marginalized communities on a legislative level.
Edgar Oseguera Martinez
Why did you join the Young Advocates Program? I decided to join the YAP because I am passionate about policy and advocacy as it relates to low-income, people of color. The YAP would allow me to further my career goals in public policy by developing my skills, knowledge, and experience in the core functions of advocacy and public policy work.
Estela Najera
Why did you join the Young Advocates Program? I decided to join the program in hopes of furthering my leadership skills and learning more about policy.
Ruben Vela
Why did you join the Young Advocates Program? I decided to join the YAP because I want to make a change within the community so that young people 18-34 have a voice that needs to be heard. We all have intersections in our lives that get caught in the crossfire when politics are involved and what do we want? WE WANT CHANGE FOR THE FUTURE!!
Shelbi Felter
Why did you join the Young Advocates Program?I joined to help learn tools so I can more effectively advocate and hopefully make.change. As a blind woman I hope to represent my.community and make sure all people are successful in life.