Young Invincibles NY is excited to host six passionate interns this summer. Special thanks to the CUNY Recovery Corps program and New York City’s Summer Youth Employment Program’s (SYEP) partnership with PENCIL for making this paid opportunity possible. To learn more about our amazing interns, please see below.

Lia Guzman Genao
John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY

Lia Guzman Genao is a 19 year old college student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, majoring in Law & Society. Lia was born and raised in the Dominican Republic, and moved to the United States at the age of 13. This experience has helped her understand first hand the struggles and intersectionalities working class families face on a daily basis. She strongly believes in the power of civic engagement, and electoral politics as a way to create systemic change. Through her work, Lia hopes to uplift, empower and advocate for people of all backgrounds in the political process. In her past work, Lia has gained experience on the issues affecting marginalized communities and how to actively create change through organizing, and community outreach. In the future, Lia plans to earn a masters degree in Public Policy, which will allow her to better understand key policy issues and how to implement policies that will have a lasting impact on the public good.

Stephen Jackson
Queens College, CUNY

Stephen Jackson is a senior at CUNY Queens College, majoring in Business Administration and Finance. His interest in finance began as he witnessed many people in his community of Jamaica, Queens suffer financially due to their lack of financial literacy. Stephen hopes to one day open community centers in minority neighborhoods that provide financial education programs, mental health services, food assistance, and other support services. Stephen is interning with the Young Invincibles to learn effective ways to serve and advocate for others. He has a passion for helping those who face inequality and wants to create systems that will benefit future generations. Stephen aspires to be a public servant, activist, and finance attorney. In his free time, he volunteers at New York Cares, creates films, and reads.

Alejandra Martinez
John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY

Alejandra is a recent graduate of John Jay College, where she studied sociology and criminal justice. Her interest in public policy first struck when she was given the opportunity to intern for a New York State Assemblyman in 2019. During her time at John Jay, she was selected to be a part of the CUNY Service Corps program where she was matched with Young Invincibles and became a part of the Policy and Advocacy team. Alejandra hopes to have a career in non-profit or government that allows her to help New Yorkers facing housing and job insecurities. In her free time, Alejandra likes to camp, hike, and go on road trips with her wife throughout the tri-state area. Her lifelong dream is to become a certified scuba diver.

Thikra Mohammad
College of Staten Island, CUNY

Thikra is a freshman at the College of Staten Island, pursuing a major in Biology and is interning with Young Invincibles through the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) with PENCIL. She has also interned with Wellness Empowerment of Brooklyn as a team leader, helping her team navigate conducting community surveys on a variety of issues they faced on a daily basis. In high school, Thikra became a Youth Ambassador for Social Justice with the Muslim Community Network (MCN), where she administered public surveys and created action plans to combat sexual harassment in NYC. She is a Palestinan American and speaks both English and Arabic. During her free time, Thikra likes to hang out with her family and friends, bake, and try out new cultural dishes. Thikra hopes to continue being an advocate for her peers around NYC and is excited to be working alongside a hardworking team at Young Invincibles.

Nikaury Ureña
LaGuardia Community College

Nikaury is a sophomore at LaGuardia Community College pursuing a major in Criminal Justice. As a young immigrant from the Dominican Republic who came to the United States looking for opportunities, living in the U.S. made her realize the struggles that many people in her communithy face in this country. She had the fortunate opportunity to work with Make the Road New York and has also been a part of the Latinas On the Verge of Excellence (L.O.V.E.) program, where she learned how small contributions help make big changes. Nikaury understands the importance of civic engagement and would like to contribute by volunteering for a better future. Throughout her college journey Nikaury expects to gain further knowledge and experience to support her future career as a Correctional Treatment Specialist and help those whom society gives up on.

Almer Yu
Hunter College High School

Almer is a junior at Hunter College High School with a passion for the intersections of science research, writing, and advocacy. She is an avid learner and devoted to serving her community. Her experiences as a member of her school newspaper and a volunteer for a lab conducting research on drug addiction and diabetes, cultivated her love for both science and writing. Most importantly, those experiences empower Almer to seek new ideas about different issues and ways to address them. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career in medicine and healthcare. As a Young Invincibles intern this summer, Almer is excited to play a more active role as an advocate to create change towards equitable healthcare and education access. In her free time, Almer enjoys reading, sewing, and exploring the city with her friends.

If you are interested in learning more about our internship program, fill out this Google Form.