Meet our Colorado Young Advocates

 

Anton Ortega (he/him/his)

Why did you join the Young Advocates Program? I feel like a lot of young adults can relate to feeling frustrated and a lot of the times paralyzed when trying to navigate in a flawed systemic society like ours. In times of hardship growing up, and even to this day, it’s being constantly revealed to me how leaders entrusted to educate or protect, have often let people like myself down. I want myself and future advocates to know that it’s okay to feel lost or helpless sometimes, it’s normal. We don’t have to have all the answers. Our willingness to listen, observe, break cycles, and have the hard conversations is enough, you don’t have to have a degree to do that. I joined this program to gain a sense of empowerment within myself and for my community.

Diego Lopez-Duran (he/him/his)

Why did you join the Young Advocates Program? I partook in the round-table discussions last Spring and all of the Young Advocates at the time spoke very highly of their experiences and said they had learned and grown so much both professionally and personally. I think this program will help me learn so much about research and the policy/legislative process and be able to apply those experiences for my future endeavors and help advance sustainable economic development for marginalized communities.

Isaiah Jiron

Why did you join the Young Advocates Program?I joined the young advocates team to challenge myself to become a better youth leader. My goal is to gain more experience and skills relating to the nonprofit sector. Young Invincibles has presented a great opportunity for the cohort to assist their community and increase their knowledge.

Jessie Jennett (she/her/they/them)

Why did you join the Young Advocates Program?I want to strengthen my ability to put my privilege on the line to enhance the access and treatment of marginalized backgrounds in my community. I want to gain more knowledge regarding legislative advocacy and make connections with peers who want to advocate on behalf of the young people in Colorado and nationally. Advocating in Denver Public Schools for the investment in mental health counselors that reflect the backgrounds of students, encouraged me to continue to strengthen my knowledge of how to organize on a greater scale. I believe in creating a more accurately representative governance and think that the values that Young Invincibles hold align with the progressive steps we need to take in supporting the next generation of leaders.

Sidney Weth (she/her/hers)

Why did you join the Young Advocates Program?I’m excited to learn the skills needed to make a change and become an advocate for youth and young adults throughout my community. I joined the advocates program to learn about public policy and how to make a difference in society. I’m passionate about mental and physical health care reform and building a society where we advocate for better resources for disabled individuals, specifically health insurance. It’s important for individuals to have health insurance and the access to medical care in order to thrive in everyday life.Throughout this program, I want to learn the skills needed to assist the populations of individuals who are the most marginalized. Overall, I want to learn how to promote change and help raise the voices of my community.

Roan Phillipson (they/them)

Why did you join the Young Advocates Program?I joined the advocates program because I’ve always been passionate about my communities and helping others. However, I’ve struggled over the years to find a way to make an impact on the things harming my communities, rather than just trying to mitigate as much harm as possible. I’m hoping with the training, experience, and information I gather from the advocates program I can help make changes to reduce the harm happening to queer and/or disabled people, especially queer and/or disabled youth.

Meet the Fall 2021 Colorado Young Advocates: Student Success Cohort