Ani facilitates programming in Madera County, with the most recent creation of Youth Across Madera (Y.A.Ms) Advocacy Coalition where 15 young people from different districts in the county can come together to build their knowledge on all things advocacy and activism. Young people in Madera have the opportunity to do community and civic engagement through various campaigns connected to the Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communications.
Ani has lived in the Central Valley since 2016 and moved here from her hometown of Tucson, Arizona. She loves to be active in the community, working with local nonprofits such as the Fresno Mission and YFC Fresno/Madera. She has found the most joy being active in ministry in schools, juvenile detention centers, and group homes.
Ani’s passions lie in supporting and uplifting youth. In her junior year of high school she joined the Center for Advanced Research and Technology taking law and being active in policy change in schools. As part of an award winning advocacy group, Teens Against Domestic Violence, she worked with lawyers from the Fresno County Bar Association to create a resource page that provides support for young people, and partnered with M.A.D. to bring awareness to addiction, alcoholism, homelessness, and abuse.
On a more personal note, Ani grew up in a small town in Arizona, about an hour from the border town to Mexico called Nogales, and frequented the indigenous reservations around her. Hailing from the Pasqua Yaqui tribe herself, Ani’s native roots are a strong part of who she is. A true outdoors-woman she hikes, rock climbs, paddleboards, and kayaks in her free time.