Alliyah Jensen Photo by Jerry Sanchez
As a hardcore makeup lover and a young woman with fair skin, finding makeup to suit my skin tone has been pretty easy.
Above: Cassandra Avitia (right) having fun with a youth member during Pride in the Park 2017.
In honor of National Mentoring Month, We’Ced sat down with former youth reporter and current mentor Cassandra Avitia to get her take on what it means to help guide and support young people.
We left crumbled governments only to experience what seems like downfall of yet another one, the difference is that we still have a chance to put a stop to the course.
Immigrants have greatly contributed to the success of this country since it was founded, and the majority of DACA recipients continue to do so. They've become a scapegoat to hate, just like many other minorities have become in the past. Do not let us be divided.
I made this poem because I know people who still struggle with their identity and being accepted. Too many times, I’ve gotten in arguments to defend my friends and family. This is a very sensitive subject to me, and I feel I must stand up against hate because LGBTQ+ love is no different from any other love.
I was told this trip would be a once in a lifetime opportunity, but I never imagined it would make a huge impact on my life, allowing me find confidence in who I am and fueling me to become a champion for equal rights.
A couple of weeks ago, Iris Vang, 17, a youth leader with Faith in Merced's Leadership Academy, had the opportunity to attend the 2017 Sisterhood Rising Camp in Portola, Calif. Spending a week in nature connecting with her cultural and ancestral roots inspired her to write about her experience as a young Hmong-American woman. Her poem ‘My Body’ is full of vivid imagery and is an ode to her culture.
