In mid-September, the Young Invincibles’ New York office launched its sixth cohort of the Young Advocates program, our semester-long paid policy, and advocacy fellowship, where young New Yorkers learn how to build campaigns for change on their campuses across New York.
To learn more about our 2022 Fall New York Young Advocates, scroll below. For more information about our Young Advocates program, including information about applications for our Spring 2023 program, please fill out this Google Form.
Mary Achi (She/Her/Hers)
Sophomore, LaGuardia Community College, CUNY
Mary Achi is currently a LaGuardia college student and the youngest out of five children. She loves to dance, shop, cook, and travel in her spare time. One of Mary’s passions is languages–she can speak three languages and is fluent in three others. In addition to learning languages, she loves helping others, with her family and friends calling her “selfless.” Through the program, she hopes to advocate for those who can not fight for themselves and help make the world a better place, even if it is little by little.
Naileah Anderson (she/her/hers)
Graduate Student, Columbia University
Naileah’s passion for advocacy has played a vital role in her life. To her, being part of the Young Advocates Program is a major opportunity for her to grow as an advocate, especially for underserved communities, such as the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities. Naileah received a Bachelor of Arts in Latin American and Caribbean Area Studies from SUNY Binghamton University in 2022 and is currently working towards her pre-medical certificate at Columbia University. She aspires to become a physician for those who lack adequate access to health care throughout the Caribbean and Latin America.
Aaliyah Clement (she/her/hers)
Sophomore, Long Island University (LIU)
Aaliyah Clement currently attends Long Island University, at its Brooklyn campus and is majoring in Nursing. She plans to pursue a career in nursing to become a physician or an anesthesiologist assistant. With a passion for mental health and wellness, Aaliyah joined Young Invincibles to learn the proper steps to advocate and create policies so that she may incorporate that in her line of work to properly advocate for her patients.
Julia Cordova (she/her/hers)
Junior, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY
Julia Eve Cordova is a Junior at CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She is currently a Human Services and Community Justice major and also pursuing a Certificate in Legal Spanish Translation and Interpretation. She has over two years of experience working with local non-profit organizations since high school. She is interested in pursuing a career in the human services sector, education, or consulting.
Julia is passionate about helping the immigrant and Latinx communities in areas such as professional development, navigating American institutions, and learning how to advocate for themselves. She grew up with first-generation immigrant parents of Polish and Peruvian descent, and witnessed, through her work, how Latinx and immigrant communities are underserved, marginalized, and oppressed. Julia aspires to obtain knowledge and experience from the Young Advocates Program to be an effective professional and help others advocate for themselves.
Naomi Eyre (she/her/hers)
Junior, Brooklyn College, CUNY
Born and raised in New York City, Naomi Eyre is a first-generation college student at Brooklyn College. Currently, she is in her junior year, pursuing a film major with a concentration in screenwriting, and plans on getting her master’s degree in psychology. Naomi has leveraged her passion for the camera by engaging in the photography club, producing documentary short films, and writing scripts outside of school. Also, she has joined the Girls Write Now program as a mentee to further her skills as a poet and screenwriter. She hopes to publish work that sheds light on the multidimensionality of POC.
Before becoming an advocate at Young Invincibles, Naomi worked at non-profit organizations such as the Chinese-American Planning Council and The Fresh Air Fund. These experiences deepened her understanding of the need for more programs to accommodate low-income minorities, especially considering how the pandemic furthered the devastation of poverty amongst those communities. Naomi’s experiences with children at the Fresh Air Fund provided evidence for her research, which explored how low-income children of color are more vulnerable to poor quality education due to the limited opportunities and lack of economic, social, and community food resources.
Being a part of the Young Advocates program will allow her to apply her skills as a writer and her past experiences at non-profits to bring awareness to the institutional roots of racial disparities in education. She hopes her work will change the stereotypical approaches to the unequal distribution of funds to public schools in low-income communities.
Yaetzy Fernandez (she/her/hers)
Senior, Lehman College, CUNY
Yaetzy Fernandez is a senior at Lehman College, currently pursuing a major in Social Work and will be graduating in 2023. Yaetzy has always had experience in childcare and mental health counseling. To date, she has been in three internships that have helped to expand her knowledge on social work, mental health advocacy and counseling, and career development.
She plans to continue pursuing higher education, understanding that social work is not only a very competitive field but is also emotionally draining. She would like to make an impact on specific communities such as the neurodivergent community, and the Latina community, both of which she is part of. She hopes to speak on more topics like this, which are very sensitive for the Latino community to address to help foster impactful dialogue and positive change. Yaetzy strives to keep inspiring others by having her own social media pages regarding her own personal experiences being a woman who is neurodivergent.
Shekinah Green (They/them/theirs)
Junior, Lehman College, CUNY
Shekinah Green is a junior at CUNY Lehman, majoring in Political Science and Sociology. They currently work as a tutor at the New York Public Library’s After School program, where they serve the students of their community, and make fun jewelry in their free time. Driven by a passion for justice and a desire to advocate for and educate New York’s most vulnerable, Shekinah decided to apply for the Young Invincibles’ Young Advocates Program. They hope to learn more about the current concerns of the city, how to advocate for such issues, and how to better spread awareness. They are most passionate about food and housing insecurity and mental health awareness.
Christian Hernandez (he/him/his)
Junior, City College of New York (CCNY), CUNY
Christian Hernandez is a Bronx native who is currently enrolled at City College of New York, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. As a first-generation college student, he has witnessed the challenges that other students like him face. Growing up and not having a role model led him to want to be one for others. Christian has always been passionate about helping those who need guidance or resources to reach their passions, and financial goals as well as being an ear to listen for anyone who may need it.
Christian aims to pursue a Masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy after his time is over at CCNY. Christian joined the Young Advocates Program to learn more about the powers of advocacy. Knowing firsthand how to apply the skills of advocacy would allow him to be a bank of knowledge for future clients and the local communities he aspires to help.
Zola Jarrett-Henry (she/her/hers)
Sophomore, Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), CUNY
Zola Jarrett-Henry is a Sophomore at Borough of Manhattan Community College, where she majors in Multimedia Programming and Design, with the end goal of becoming a designer. She was a Law major, however, the pressure of social issues such as the Black Lives Matter movement stressed her out and took a toll on her mental health. Even though Zola decided to opt out of fighting social injustices from the “inside,” she decided to find ways to actively be a part of things she believes in. Zola worked with CUNY Recovery Corps in the summer of 2021 to help revitalize college students’ involvement with their communities and their schools. This experience allowed her to hear and better understand student concerns, while helping to problem-solve.
Zola is passionate about issues related to mental health and how colleges are not receiving the proper funding to be supportive of their students’ mental health needs. She grew up in different states, living in a range of low-income to middle-class, where she saw major differences between education and how mental health is treated. Zola hopes to use the knowledge she gains in the Young Advocates Program and her experiences with different living situations to help shed light on mental health parity.
Clementina Jose (she/her/hers)
Graduate Student, Hunter Silberman School of Social Work, CUNY
Clementina Jose attends the Hunter Silberman School of Social Work, where she is pursuing a Masters in Social Work (MSW) at 21. Clementina is currently a second-year student and has a concentration in clinical practice with individuals and families. Clementina has a deep passion for catering to underserved populations and showing that it is possible to be a success story in the midst of strife, due to her own experiences.
Her short-term goal is to continue to advocate within the K-12 sector, as a Dean of students in the near future. Thereafter, she hopes to become a principal and later a superintendent within the NYC public school system. Her goal as an administrator would be to answer many questions relating to black and brown communities and shining light on other diverse groups. Clementina is also dedicated to increasing access to culturally-informed mental health care for underserved youth and adolescents. She currently works with various organizations, which are focused on eliminating student hunger, providing access to school-based mental health services for youth, and providing new books and school supplies to elementary-aged children. Clementina hopes to become a dynamic mover and shaker within the social work and education sectors.
Jared Martino (he/him/they/them)
Graduate Student, Stony Brook University, SUNY
Jared Martino is a current Activities and Engagement Coordinator at Vaughn College of Aeronautics where his passion to help others learn has fueled all of his work. In his professional career, he has taught a wide variety of ages, abilities, and backgrounds that have taught him how important learning is at all stages in our lives.
A recent CUNY graduate with honors, Jared is now a SUNY student pursuing a Master’s Degree in Higher Education Administration. He is based in Queens, New York, and has been an active part of the New York community his entire life.
Adrian De La Cruz Medrano (he/him/his)
Senior, Queens College, CUNY
Adrian is a 22-year-old college student at Queens College, majoring in Design. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and raised in Lima, Peru, he moved to New York City at the age of 17. One of the struggles he faced was financial aid and difficulty being able to continue his career goals. However, after research, Adrian found different programs and opportunities that helped him to cover his tuition and ultimately keep his goals alive. Previously, he gained experience as an advertiser, elaborating on social media about people’s rights such as medicare, financial aid, after-school programs, the importance of voting, and helping ensure that people are counted on the 2020 Census.
Adrian applied for the Young Advocates Program to help his community and create equality in New York. Through the program, he hopes to learn about policy and how to support people’s ideas in the right way. In the future, he wants to work in a company that helps people and the community because he believes helping people is not about one’s reputation or pride, it is about changing people’s lives and reminding them they are not alone.
Nazrin Nahar (she/her/hers)
Freshman, Baruch College, CUNY
Nazrin Nahar was raised in Bangladesh and moved to the United States in 2019. She is currently a Freshman at Baruch College, majoring in International Business.Since she moved to the States, she has gained new experiences and perspectives on struggles that seem to be particular to the BIPOC community. Her culture and ethnicity are a big part of her identity, and she feels passionate about the struggles that affect the South Asian community.
She hopes to be that person and voice for the underpaid and overexploited workers in Bangladesh. Nazrin joined YI, hoping to learn advocacy skills and be able to speak and stand up for her community. She believes advocacy is a skill that is important in a person’s personal and professional life, to be able to stand up for not only one’s self, but also others. This is why Nazrin is looking forward to the knowledge and experience she will gain from the Young Advocates Program.
Khadija Rashid (she/her/hers)
Sophomore, Cornell University
Khadija is a sophomore studying Government and Information Science at Cornell University. During high school, she worked for the Chancellor’s Student Advisory Council in NYC to prompt student voices and equity in the Department of Education (DOE). The NYC DOE school system consists of 1.1 million students whose voices need to be heard. Education equality is essential to improving the future. Khadija believes that expanding decision-making power to those typically left out of the conversation helps to create more equitable, sustainable, and just cities. Students need to know that they are seen and their voices are appreciated. After all, they are the future of society. Through the Young Advocates Program, she is graciously given the platform to help make broader civic engagement happen!
Emma Ann Tavern (she/her/hers)
Senior, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY
Emma Ann Taverner is a senior at CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She is currently majoring in Law & Society with a double minor in Interdisciplinary Studies and Criminology. Prior to Young Invincibles, Emma interned with Common Justice, Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC), The New York Birth Control Access Project, and Thirds Streaming, where she learned the importance of policy advocacy for all types of marginalized communities. It was through these experiences that she gained skills in addressing and advocating for policies to legislators, policy research, and the importance of community outreach. These experiences gave her a deeper understanding of the injustices within society. She’s done research, outreach, and direct work, to help positively affect marginalized communities.
Emma is passionate about providing a voice for ignored and marginalized people, as well as breaking barriers. Young Invincibles will aid in the process of strengthening those passions while allowing Emma to explore the issues young New Yorkers face on a daily basis. She plans to further her education with a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and Policy, which will allow her to analyze, advocate for, and help implement policies to support marginalized communities. When not busy, Emma enjoys self-care in many forms including taking care of her plants and creating nail art.
Ameema Wasim (she/her/hers)
Sophomore, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY
Ameema Wasim is an 18-year-old college student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, majoring in Criminal Justice Management. She has previously been involved with creating campaigns for climate change and canvassing for members running for City Council. She is passionate about law and advocacy and hopes to utilize her knowledge gained at the Young Advocates Program to improve her skills with public policy.
Ameema wants to go to law school and become a criminal defense lawyer to help those who have been wrongfully convicted. She desires to work alongside those from minority backgrounds in hopes of achieving social change. In her free time, you can find her reading a book, taking a nap, or doing her makeup.