Calafia is yli’s statewide youth policy journal that amplifies the narratives of young people on topics and issue areas important to them and their communities. Each year, Calafia Fellows are selected from across yli’s offices to develop and produce a youth-led policy ‘zine. Along the way, they are mentored by experienced reporters and learn the steps to producing a variety of different kinds of content. Check work from previous years here.
This year’s Calafia Fellows are an exceptional bunch. Here are their stories.
Karisma has always been devoted to everything she does and all of her many passions, which is why when she got to high school she got involved in lots of extracurriculars. In her freshman year she played basketball, went to the state competition on her speech and debate team, played the role of Margot in Legally Blonde the Musical, all while taking advanced classes and volunteering. She was able to expand on all of these things Junior year, doing more shows and semi-qualifying at the state speech and debate competition. In her free time Karisma enjoys watching shows and movies, writing, singing, and playing with her 2 gorgeous cats! Throughout her high school career so far, Karisma’s been able to learn a lot about herself, including but not limited to where she stands on different political controversies, how she tackles life’s problems when they come at her, and who she thinks she is when it comes to her identity and sexuality. What makes Karisma different from the rest is her mentality that gets here through every tough time in her life.
Alejandro, our youngest fellow at the ripe age of 15, is one of our new hardworking fellows here in the Calafia fellowship program with Youth Leadership Institute (yli). Born on March 12, 2009 in Salt Lake City, Utah, Alejandro never stayed in one place for over 2 years. Some fun facts about Alejandro is that his name means defender of people in Greek mythology and he is currently in the process of publishing his first poetry book! Although his age didn’t meet the age requirement, Alejandro didn’t let that stop him from applying for this amazing opportunity. Even though he is young, Calafia program leaders at yli saw what we all see, a talented teen with a lot to add to the program, so they allowed him to stay and flourish with our team of developing journalists. Alejandro is excited about being accepted to the program and can’t wait to show off what he can do.
Sasha is a freshman at the University of California in Santa Barbara from Fresno, CA. Their passion for journalism started prior to joining Youth Leadership Institute’s Calafia program when they worked with a publication called The Know. One fun fact about Sasha is that they were named after a cartoon bird from the movie Peter and the Wolf! A little bit about Sasha’s life — they grew up as the eldest out of six in a single parent household which came with its own challenges early on. Sasha’s queer identity has also always played a large role in their life. These experiences, alongside growing up in the central valley, is what influences Sasha’s activism and what grounds their journalism work.
Kaelyn is a high school sophomore from Mountain View, California. She is passionate about exploring the intersection of writing and social justice. Kaelyn enjoys writing poetry about her community, social justice issues, and reflections on her personal growth. Kaelyn is pursuing her interest in writing through activities such as her school’s magazine, where she writes articles about social justice issues related to teens in her community. While she is not writing, Kaelyn is involved with many service and advocacy efforts within her community. Kaelyn looks forward to learning more about journalism and seeing the world through different lenses in the Calafia Program.
Cherish is a fellow joining Calafia as a senior in high school, and though she currently lives in California she is originally from the Philippines. A fun fact about Cherish is her name is inspired by her father, who cherished the day she was born! In the Phillippines, Cherish went to a Catholic school for many years. Cherish’s relationship with spirituality and religion and her lived experience growing up in the lower middle class in the Philippines inspired her social activism and involvement in journalism.
Introducing the Senior Fellows…
This year, Iris Lopez and Maggie de la Peza will be serving as Senior Fellows, tasked with co-creating and co-facilitating the entire program. Clarissa and Adamari – our Senior Fellows from last year – will be returning for a third year with Calafia. They will be taking on a special, independent project, reporting on a topic of their choice and creating their own 9-month curriculum to produce and distribute the final project.
Iris, born and raised in East Palo Alto, is a fourth year first-generation undergraduate at the University of California, Berkeley studying Media Studies/Communications with double minors in History of Art and Ethnic Studies. She really values the importance of cultural connection, education, and representation, and embodies these themes in her writing, art, and public service. As a Calafia fellow, she was able to find ways to make sense of her identity through the complexities of simply “making” powerful dialogues. As a Senior Fellow, she is excited to open her mind and support young perspectives and voices.
Maggie De La Peza is a senior at Glendora High School, from the San Gabriel Valley suburban community of Glendora. She is a devoted enjoyer and reader of theology and hopes to major in Religious Studies in college before potentially attending Seminary. She loves to write, run, cook microbiome-loving food, play field hockey, and spend time in nature. She considers it an honor to engage frequently in community organizing, helping to organize local Glendora forums on topics like religious diversity and perspectives of our unhoused neighbors; she views journalistic writing as a similar form of service.
Clarissa is a third-year senior fellow from San Bruno, California. She discovered her passion for writing and advocacy through the Youth Leadership Institute’s Silicon Valley Community Foundation Journalism Program and has been connected with yli ever since. In her first year as a Calafia fellow, she was assigned the racial beat, addressing the racial injustices and inequities that exist within our systems. Now that she is entering her second year at university, she is eager to dive into her senior fellow project with Adamari, creating a documentary detailing the experiences of first-generation college students.
Adamari Cota is from the Eastern Coachella Valley. Throughout her high school years she was introduced to certain programs where she learned about many forms of expression through art and writing. Her narrative offers a sense of self-expression and a voice for her community. With her experience in Calafia, she has learned more about journalism and how to incorporate it into her narratives and future work. Adamari is currently attending UC Berkeley and loves to read in her free time!
