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.

 

Brian Garrett Jr. (he/his/him)

Brian Garrett, an alumnus of CUNY, was an undergraduate student and actively engaged in the Young Advocates Program and student-centric organizations. This experience expanded his career purpose to ensure advocacy for vulnerable populations, as he belongs to many of those groups as a young Black man from underserved communities. YI’s New York Youth Advisory Board serves as a conduit to reaching those goals, allowing him to join a joint effort to affect legislation through policy advocacy and other forums. As an aspiring attorney, Brian seeks to challenge common misunderstandings of the power of youth and forward-thinking ideals that produce equity for all. He joined YAB to be a part of a community that uplifts vulnerable young populations around New York State and is committed to using his career and future aspirations to create infrastructure for developing youth. Joining a community filled with like-minded individuals is an excellent start to building upon those goals.

 

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.

 

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.

 

Juan Otoya Vanini (he/him)

Juan Otoya Vanini was born and raised in Queens, New York. With a professional background in politics, he has worked as an organizer for multiple statewide campaigns, assisting people in getting out to vote. Currently, he works in digital communications and is particularly passionate about issues related to Spanish-language outreach.

He joined the New York Advisory Board because of the opportunity to help young people better navigate barriers to higher education access and to amplify their voices for civic engagement. He believes that the more young people understand systematic barriers and how to overcome them, the better advocates they can be for policies that improve their lives.

 

Kevin Duarte (he/him)

Kevin Duarte is an undocumented person living in New York since 2000. As an organizer and activist residing in Westchester County, he has dedicated his career so far 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.

 

Malika Christopher (she/her) 

Mailka Christopher, a Queens native and proud supporter of #CUNYstrong, enjoys exploring new places, prioritizing self-care, and embarking on city adventures during her leisure time.

Her commitment to youth development, public health, mental health, and advocacy led her to join the New York Youth Advisory Board. She is thrilled to collaborate with leaders, contribute to organizational growth, and provide professional development opportunities to nurture our young leaders.

 

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.

 

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.