Rosa M. García Testifies Before CA Senate Committee
CLP-CYLC Executive Director Rosa M. García testifies before the California Senate Budget and Fiscal Review
CYLC Student and Alumni Spotlight Stories
Check out what our CYLC Students and Alumni are up to!
Christian Espinoza (he/they) is an undocumented, queer Latino from the Inland Empire, California. He is determined to return to the Inland Empire, where he can leverage his education and experience to make a tangible difference by providing legal representation, education, and support for immigrant communities. He aims to empower those within his community facing immigration issues, ensuring they have access to the resources and advocacy necessary to navigate their legal journeys.
Janae Quarles (they/them) is a multilingual, Black, queer, and trans advocate and activist. They graduated from our first cohort and will be attending law school in Fall of 2024 and pursuing a career in immigration law. During their time in our fellowship they are very proud to have accomplished and completed over 15 DACA applications and general immigration consultations for community members seeking relief. They attended their work-based learning at the Education and Leadership Foundation and were hired to work after completion of their fellowship.
Victoria Gamez (she/her) is firmly rooted in ensuring communities have their basic needs met and full access to resources. (. Her future goals are to become an elementary school teacher and a sports coach as a way of supporting her community. Since 2016 she has been a site lead for Every Neighborhood Partnership Saturday Sports Program where she can host sports gatherings, carnivals, and arts and crafts events within her community where families can enjoy themselves.
Jesus Madrigal (he/him) is committed to social justice and social change. He hopes to, one day, start his own non-profit organization. He plans to apply to Masters of Social Work Programsto pursue a career in social work. He talks about his fellowship as one of a kind and that otherwise, he would not have been exposed to working with the variety of nonprofits.
Jessica Zenteno (she/her) has an intense passion for mental health and holistic medicine. At her fellowship work-based learning placement, Riverside Area Rape Crisis Center, she organized and lead workshops and events that provided community members with mental health resources and providing holistic shared housing for those who are experiencing homelessness, transitioning, and recovering.
Juan Carlos Luis Bonilla Ventura (he/him) is a Honduran advocate based in Los Angeles, California. He has an immense passion for writing and is currently working on self-publishing three books in 2024. Throughout his work-based learning experience at Mi Centro in Los Angeles he developed group workshops for youth to write about their emotions and experiences.
Jennifer Balino (she/her) comes from an agricultural landscape in the Central Valley and is a strong advocate for environmental justice in her community. She recently researched the impact of agricultural practices on pollution in the Central Valley, specifically focusing on air and water pollution from pesticides and toxins. Her goal is to identify programs alleviating community stress caused by pollution.
Nora C Melendez (she/they) was born in Mexico and spent their formative years growing up in California’s Silicon Valley. They are an artist and writer who had their first book published in February 2024. They hope to expand the lessons within the book to create workshops and classes.
