Identity

  • The Activist for Change: A Profile on Vajra Watson

    May 8, 2019 /

    Upon the life and history of Dr. Vajra Watson, one word comes into play: a hustler. But although hustler is shown to give a large part of the energy presented in her aura, resilient, empowering, and incredible also display a true description of the professor and activist. Read More

  • No Wrong Way to Be Human

    March 19, 2019 /

    Youth reporter Aaliyah Jensen advocates for more trans inclusion and tolerance in school.

  • Believing in Myself

    February 7, 2019 /

    Friendships have the potential to impact our wellness positively or negatively. How do you cope when a companion is no longer a part of your life?  Read how Karina learned to move on and found strength in herself.      Friends come and go Just by the blink of an eye Not only do they leave But, some memories do too You lose the ones you love Now you have to fight alone People will never notice When you fake a smile to hide pain Only someone knows you’re hurt You wouldn’t change a thing didn’t invest time for memories Neither did they try to Struggles meet you straight in the face You still want to satisfy others who wouldn’t change anything for you Nobody would change to see you happy Those type of people are just selfish As I closed my eyes I thought it’ll all be gone As I opened my eyes, it was all gone I stood up stronger now Realizing I don’t need a selfish friend All I need is my self-worth and Knowing who I am Read More

    central valley  community  mental health  merced  youth  
  • Advocating at the State Capital – Youth Power Summit 2018

    August 17, 2018 /

    Reporter Stephanie Gurtel shares a photo essay from her time at the 2018 Youth Power Summit in Davis and Sacramento, Calif.

    california  california youth  community  davis  education  Free Our Dreams  policy  sacramento  spotlight  state capitol  youth advocacy  youth power summit  youth voices  
  •  When it comes to Makeup, Color Matters

    March 27, 2018 /

        As a hardcore makeup lover and a young woman with fair skin, finding makeup to suit my skin tone has been pretty easy. Makeup seems to be catered for girls who look like me.   Recently, while shopping for beauty products, I found myself examining the color selection for people of color (POC). Read More

  • What does it mean to be a mentor? Part II

    January 22, 2018 /

    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. Read More

    Cassandra Avitia  college  first-generation student  mentors  merced  National Mentoring Month  spotlight  youth leadership