Category: YAB Members

I am a medical and research assistant in Neurology, who is also going to school. I am looking forward to my third year on RHEP’s youth advisory board, as I see the importance of self-autonomy and the necessary education that comes with it. One achievement I am proud of is the YouThink internship with CHLA where we worked on identifying the causes of disparities affecting pregnant and parenting foster youth.

I am a Masters of Urban Planning student at USC, former foster youth and community advocate! Currently serving as a Director of youth fellowships at a LGBTQ+ based organization I help cultivate conversations around identity and mental health. I’m looking forward to serving as a RHEP youth advisor board member, especially as a queer person who believes in bridging the connections between sexual education and advocacy.

Sam is a first-year student studying Finance & Chinese at the University of Notre Dame. She is a former foster youth from the Department of Children and Family Services, passionate about foster care children pursuing higher education. She aims to explore various investments that can be allocated to college success programs and technology, supporting high school students and ultimately enhancing educational outcomes for those in the child welfare system. Sam has received notable scholarships, including the QuestBridge National College Match, HOLA Microsoft, and the Minerva Scholarship, which was hand-picked by her California State Assembly, Sade Elhawary.

My name is Taneil, and I am the Training & Education Coordinator with LA Emissary, where I support SPA teams through youth-centered training, systems education, and advocacy development. I am currently majoring in Political Science at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). Grounded in lived experience, I believe it is critical to advance sexual and reproductive health rights for young people in foster care, ensuring they have access to accurate information, supportive resources, and the autonomy to make informed decisions about their bodies and futures.

Hello everyone!! I’m a third year student studying Cognitive Science at USC. This will be my first year working with RHEP’s youth advisory board. I really enjoy working with others. I love bouncing ideas and making content, testimonies, and presentations. I am beyond excited and I can’t wait to work with you all! 🙂

I am a Nurse Assistant and a Surgical Technologist. AVC student hoping to achieve my BSN. This will be my first year working with RHEP’s youth advisory board. I was able to receive first hand the benefits of programs like this as a young father. I’m very ecstatic to be a part of a team wanting to spread knowledge and support. Let’s make a difference one effort at a time!

I’m Jen, and I’m a Biology Major at CSUDH. I also work as a Medical Assistant for UCLA and am on the Physician Assistant track. I think advancing reproductive health rights of people in general, but especially young people in foster care.
I’m looking forward to spreading awareness and hopefully making meaningful change at RHEP as a Youth Advisory Board member. I want to leave this world one day better than I found it. I am very proud of myself for finishing UCLA’s Medical Assistant program last year and getting hired as a UCLA MA Float. This was the step through the door I needed to start my career in healthcare, and it finally feels like all of my hard work is paying off.

Hey there! My name is Jasmine, and after completing my degree at UCLA, I am now a clinical research coordinator and researcher at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). I am so thrilled to serve on the RHEP Youth Advisory Board to make sure we work towards a consistent, trauma-informed approach for sexual & reproductive health for young people with lived experience in foster care! For me, ensuring bodily autonomy in this ever-changing landscape is so important and empowering for advocates and youth alike. I can’t wait to work together with my peers to build educational resources and share my personal experience to let others know they’re not alone!

I have a strong passion for improving outcomes for marginalized communities in a compassionate, accessible, and inclusive way. Being involved with advocacy work, including in sexual and reproductive healthcare, is one of the ways I give back to my community. As a returning YAB member, I hope to keep making progress towards combating stigma, miseducation, and boosting those most unheard. I also hope to give youth in care and those who serve them the tools they need to make safer, more caring, and more empowered decisions.

I am currently a Special Education Teacher and working on getting my Master’s degree. I believe that all people deserve to receive high-quality sexual health education that considers various sexual identities and cultural backgrounds and empowers individuals to make informed choices regarding their bodies without facing stigma or coercion. Being on the Youth Advisory Board, I hope to continue my efforts to promote a trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate, and inclusive approach to reproductive and sexual healthcare.