I eventually gained the confidence to express my character and feelings during a major campaign to reform Marin County’s youth criminal justice system…I was apprehensive about speaking up, but the issue was so important that I felt compelled to take the risk of becoming more visible. It was the first time I was presented with a situation in which I could see myself.
I remember feeling the thrill of being pioneers in community change work. At that time, folks were not really talking about youth leadership in a community context.
When I started working at yli’s Marin office, I was wholly unprepared to work in a predominantly white community…Looking back, I believe that it was a sign from the universe – a push for me to let go of my trauma as my identity and purpose and to redefine what my leadership looks like.
As a journalist, I help others to see their stories – not just as something that happens to them – but as something that has value. The interaction itself can be so therapeutic – people feel so seen when they have a chance to tell their stories to someone who wants to listen, who is curious and asks questions.
When I first started gaming as a kid, I just did it for fun, but as I got older it helped me in times of need. When I was stressed or when something was really bugging me I knew gaming was something I loved, and I knew it would cheer me up.
A dry lakebed, dead fish, abandoned buildings – these are the images most often associated with the Salton Sea. Less known is the story of the people living near the sea and what the worsening environmental crisis means to them.
Seven young women across California engaged in yli’s Calafia fellowship to produce a magazine centering on Intersectional Feminism. The stories, each written by the young writers, take on issues such as: Street harassment, gender norms, beauty and identity, queer issues, women’s history in classrooms, women farmers, and more.
When I first started facilitating, I felt really impatient. Since I had not been in a high school setting in a long time, I had forgotten what it looked and felt like. I had also forgotten how shy young people can be, and how much time it takes for them to open up.
