Hey there! My name is April (she/her) and I'm so incredibly excited to begin this journey with you all! I was born and raised in Long Beach, CA and have lived in San Francisco, Ecuador, and New York. I hold these places close to my heart as they were filled with unforgettable experiences that challenged me and helped me grow. I got my bachelor's degree in Childhood Education/Childhood Special Education from NYU and my master's degree in education with an emphasis on social and cultural analysis from CSULB. I am passionate about doing the heart work for social justice, engaging in radical dialogues with radical people, traveling, playing board games, relaxing at the beach, and being in community with those that I love. My favorite foods are: hummus, guacamole, and bean and cheese burritos. Mmm mmmm mmm just thinking about them is making me hungry...Looking forward to connecting with y'all!

Hello peeps! I'm Aurea Martinez (she/her) and I was involved with BRIDGES/OCHR as a high school student, so it's been an honor coming back to support and empower young people. #fullcircle Born in the beautiful state of Oaxaca, Mexico, I immigrated to the U.S. at 2 years old and grew up in Costa Mesa. I attended the University of California Santa Barbara earning my Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and Latin American studies. Then spent 5 years in Washington D.C. working in various fields but more importantly coming into my queer identity! In my free time I tend to explore the outdoors, travel, attempt to "chill" and joke around with family and friends.

Hi Everyone! My name is Gagandeep (she/her). I am super excited to work with all of you at this year’s YLI. A little bit about me. I am a UC Davis Aggie. Born and raised in old town Orange, currently living in Yorba Linda. I am a Sikh and that is an identity that I do carry very visibly and am open to any questions you have. I am a mom to a crazy kid and love working with young people to help them navigate their leadership skills and potential. My hope is to assist young leaders in accomplishing their goals of creating a more inclusive, unified, and woke society--in whatever shape or form that may be. I love scrapbooking and organizing my closet just for it to be a mess again the next day. I can handle almost any spice (challenge accepted?) and love love to travel when this pandemic is all over! Looking forward to getting to know all of you soon!

Hi! My name is Julie (she/they). I was born and raised in Fresno, then trekked down to Southern California where I completed a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from UC Irvine. I also dabbled a bit into Gender & Sexuality Studies and Civic & Community Engagement, where I earned minors. I went on to complete a master's in Social and Cultural Analysis of Urban Education at CSU Long Beach. I am interested in the systems change approach to social justice and believe there is so much power in engaging young people to make these changes a reality. One of my all-time favorite show is Grey’s anatomy and I love anything soup! Menudo, pozole, pho, kaopoon, chicken noodle, kaopiak….the list goes on! And yes, I am sad that souplantation closed.

Hello everyone! My name is Jorge Franco (he/him). I am a Human Relations Specialist for OC Human Relations. I have an infinite passion for social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion work. I consider myself a forever learner and strive to be in spaces where I continue to learn. I proudly carry my roots and community wherever I go. A big believer that every experience is valid and holds value. My experiences and knowledges have been gathered throughout the years, I love to share my knowledge and experience as best I can. On top of that, I am a taco connoisseur and Hip-Hop Savant.

¡Hola Hola! My name is Marco (he/him) and I am incredibly passionate about the field of conflict resolution. Nothing is better than bringing people together to collaborate and come up with creative solutions to difficult problems. Prior to doing restorative justice at school sites, I was a court and community mediator, helping people in conflict reach agreements together instead of having a judge decide for them. My degrees are in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, Peacebuilding, Criminology, Law and Society. My favorite food is chili cheese fries and I love reading comic books and playing table top board games.

Hey everyone, I’m Michael (he/him) and I’m a Restorative Justice Specialist for OC Human Relations. I’m all about dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline and uplifting students of color. When I’m not fighting the patriarchy or in quarantine, I’m playing basketball or watching a movie (Star Wars).

Excited to share space and learn from you all.