Cecilia was born and raised in Indio, California, a city in the Coachella Valley. She is a daughter of immigrants, a sister and a tia! She is passionate about working with people in her community towards a healthier Coachella Valley that prioritizes people over profits.
Cecilia graduated from the University of California Riverside with a major in Sociology. During her time at UCR, she helped organize cultural events with other queer students of color to cultivate events centered around art, poetry, and culture. Her educational experiences introduced her to educators such as Paulo Freire, Eric Stanley, and Arlene Cano Matute who strive towards liberation through a foundation of authentic care. This sparked a new found love of education, motivating her to search for opportunities to work with people at different ages and capacities.
Upon graduation, Cecilia returned to the Coachella Valley with the intention of reconnecting with her community and being close to her family. She worked at College of the Desert and the Riverside County Office of Education before arriving at yli. As a Program Coordinator at yli, she leads Coachella Unincorporated, a youth media program that is comprised of 15-20 youth who meet once a week in the Fall and Spring. She creates the curriculum and helps young people develop projects through one on one meetings or by providing necessary resources. Cecilia also leads Trusted Messenger, a partnership with the Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communications that partners with youth to deliver critical messages about water, extreme heat, mental health among others to vulnerable communities. Her tasks involve hosting workshops about root causes and offering trainings on how to conduct outreach in the community.
Cecilia enjoys doing makeup, learning new skills, discovering new foods, and chismeando with her friends. Fun fact: she is also a licensed esthetician!