On Thursday, February 27th, three yli youth leaders were recognized for their powerful leadership potential by the San Francisco Foundation’s Koshland Program. The event, Lanzamiento Amplificando Líderes Comunitários, celebrated the new cohort of Koshland fellows with ceremony, speeches, and prayer.
The purpose of the program is to strengthen grassroots community leaders in Marin County’s Canal neighborhood. Over the past year, the Foundation has worked alongside four local organizations, including Youth Leadership Institute, to identify the fellows and build a curriculum that forefronts a social justice framework tailored to the specific needs of the Canal community.
Over the next year, the multi-generational cohort of fellows will meet monthly for trainings, workshops, and field trips with the objective of crafting a project that they will implement in the following year.
The three yli youth leaders were selected because of their openness to new experiences, and the leadership qualities that demonstrate their ability to make a difference in the lives of young people. They include:
Debanhi Mendez, 8th Grade, Davidson Middle School
Tengo 13 años, nací en Texas pero crecí en Guatemala. Me gustaría jugar volleyball en High School. Tengo un hermanito de 5 años. Me encanta usar snapchat y tik tok. Me gustan los colores oscuros. Mi sueño es ser una psicóloga. Me gustaría visitar a España y ir a la universidad ahí.
Rudy Lopez, 8th Grade, DMS
Tengo 14 años, me gusta hacer muchos deportes y mantener una salud saludable. Soy de Guatemala y estudio en Davidson Middle school. Vio en San Rafael. Soy rapero. Tengo una hermana mayor y dos hermanitos. Espero completar mi meta de ser Policía y tener un buen futuro.
Dayana Rodas, 8th Grade, DMS
Tengo 14 años, soy de Guatemala. Voy a DMS y vivo en el Canal. Mi show favorito es Cake Boss. Un sueño mío es ir a Israel. Tengo dos hermanitos pequeños.
