Brenda Carrillo has worked as the coordinator at De Anza College for the California Youth Leadership Corp (CYLC) — a new statewide partnership between the California Labor and  Workforce Development Agency, California community colleges, and the Community Learning Partnership — since March, 2021. In that time, they have worked with the first cohort of CYLC students — who include youth of color, opportunity youth, and immigrant youth — throughout their program for the first year. 

“I’m not that much older than the students, so it’s been a really great experience so far,” Brenda said. Prior to assuming their current position, Brenda studied at De Anza from 2013 to 2019. “For the first five years, I didn’t really feel that connected to anything,” they said, adding that they were also working two jobs at the time, in addition to school. “I was going through the motions as an undocumented person. I needed to be in school, but wasn’t sure how long I could be here, so I was barely going.”

Through their work with HEFAS (Higher Education for AB 540 Students) — which provides educational programs and free services for undocumented students — they became familiar with the Vasconcellos Institute for Democracy in Action (VIDA). They applied and were accepted to an internship at VIDA, where they worked for two years. 

“Being part of that community got me interested in learning more about what other people face,” Brenda said, adding they hadn’t been comfortable, prior to working with VIDA and HEFAS, publicly stating their undocumented status. For the first time, Brenda said, they were surrounded by people who not only shared similar life experiences — but were curious about their perspectives. “Suddenly people were like, ‘tell us more,’” they said. “It made me want to be more involved.”

Their work in these spaces also taught them, for the first time, that community advocacy and activism could be a profession — not just something to do in your free time. “I knew I wanted to be a community organizer,” Brenda said. “But I thought I’d have to get some other job and do community organizing on the side.”

Still, when the CYLC coordinator position opened up at De Anza, two years after they had transferred, Brenda had to fight back against some familiar self-critical voices. “I was like, ‘you’re not qualified, you don’t even have a Bachelor’s degree,” Brenda said, after being hired for the position. Several months into the position, however, they realized how much the Leadership and Social Change Certificate program at De Anza had prepared them for the opportunity. “It helped me find my voice and to know my life experience qualifies me to do this,” Brenda said. “It helped me find the power in me that was already there.”

Now, they are excited to help others do the same. “I just needed people in my life helping me, and now I want to do the same for others,” Brenda said. They said they are thrilled by the progress several of their students have made. 

“I appreciate Brenda’s deep commitment to advancing the CYLC-De Anza team’s work,” said Rosa García, Executive Director of the California Youth Leadership Corps. “As a young leader and organizer, they care deeply about the health and well-being of our students and about the critical issues facing marginalized communities. They truly are an inspiration to CYLC students who are preparing to become organizers and change agents in their local communities.” 

Brenda, for instance, has lent support to a student who was formerly incarcerated and didn’t have much work experience prior to enrolling at De Anza. He was interested in joining the CYLC program after learning about it, Brenda said, but was overwhelmed and frustrated by much of the process. “Even the process of signing up for financial aid, it’s hard,” Brenda said. “Just the paperwork can be a lot for someone with a lot of trauma.” 

Brenda suggested he visit their office hours, and talk with them about how they could help. They encouraged him to attend workshops on how to enroll and access financial aid services. And today, he credits them with his decision to enroll and stick with the program. “He told us he would have left if it weren’t for our workshops,” Brenda said. Less than a year into the program, the student has also already found a full-time community change career with Silicon Valley De-Bug on a project to improve the country’s criminal justice system. 

“He saw what can happen when someone really cares to help out, when it’s not just performance,” Brenda said. The student is looking to give back now, too, Brenda said. “He’s already asked about becoming a mentor to other CYLC students.”