The FACES Youth Advisory Council
The FACES Youth Advisory Council is comprised of FACES students, both current and alumni, who represent each of the programs within our national coalition. The purpose of the Council is to create a platform for young people to express their perspectives and experiences and advocate on behalf of youth. Youth voice is an integral aspect of FACES for the Future Coalition’s work – and hearing from young people helps us to provide relevant, innovative programming that matters to our students.
Click HERE to see a message from our 2020-2021 Youth Advisory Council
Click HERE to see a message from our 2019-2020 Youth Advisory Council
Introducing our 2021-2022 Youth Advisory Council
Araceli Nunez
Hello! My name is Araceli Nunez. I am a 2021 FACES alumna, born and raised in Hayward. I am also a first generation Chicana college student, paving a path towards educational success in my family. I’ve always felt a strong, growing interest for healthcare within me, but my efforts did not begin until high school. With my involvement in programs, I was really able to seek the resources necessary towards reaching my end goal. My junior year of high school, I began working towards my Medical Assistant certification, and got accepted into the FACES program. Also, at Life Chiropractic College of the West, I took part in a memorable Cadaver Lab. Moving forward to senior year, I took the final board exam and am now a CCMA! I am thankful to also have certifications in MHFA, BLS/CPR, and COVID Contact Tracing. I strive to major in Labor and Delivery Nursing. I also have a newfound interest in Rural Nursing.
As I embark on my journey as a college student, I am filled with a great passion to immerse myself in my community and dive deeper into organizations like FACES. I am inspired by the awareness FACES has brought to me about health disparities and how it affects an individual’s climb to success. As the daughter of a Mexican immigrant, I am empowered not only to support and speak up for my Raza, but the other members of society that have suffered from a lack of resources in their communities. I would also like to recognize my hard working mother. Both of my parents have worked tirelessly and fought past their own traumas and social barriers to provide for the needs of my family of 8, which I am entirely appreciative of. With my growing involvement in community organizations, I develop an end goal to acquire sufficient knowledge and connections to one day start my own community project. My ideas as of right now range from starting a non-profit or a community center. Through enriching myself with more knowledge in the following years, I will learn what my target cause/audience will be for my future project. I trust that it will be a cause I can leave my greatest footprint on. I am thankful to be a member of FACES Youth Advisory Council. I am confident that I will have the chance to further develop my skills to take on a leadership role not only in a healthcare setting, but also in a complex society. Leaders are at the root of change, and it is essential that we recognize socio economic issues deep within our communities. There will forever be room for growth and change.
Britany Vera Santana
My name is Britany Vera Santana, I used to live in Berkeley with my two sisters and parents. My parents decided to move back to Mexico and then we returned to the U.S. since it was a better economy for my family and I. I am studying in the Medical Field at ROP and taking AP classes in English and History. It is hard and exhausting and I’m doing my best to make my family proud by preparing myself to go to college and have a better life.
I enjoy baking, cooking, and sketching. I also speak 2 languages English and Spanish while I’m learning French.
Gabriela Morales Silva
Crystal Coriz is a senior at Native American Community Academy. She is 17 years old affiliated with the Navajo Nation and Santo Domingo Pueblo tribes. She hopes to strive for her future in pharmaceutical sciences and greatly appreciates FACES For The Future for helping her along that journey.
Isabelle Bahe
Ya’at’eeh! Hello! My name is Isabelle B but I’m totally fine with Izzy. I’m full Navajo from Albuquerque, New Mexico. I’m a senior at NACA and looking forward to graduation. I’m a major kpop fan, but I also enjoy other genres of music. I enjoy traveling, creative art, and cooking. In the summertime my family likes to go on road trips out of state, those trips were exciting and made me hopeful about traveling around the world in the future. I’m hopeful that I’ll get to experience the different cultures this world has to offer and I’ll make new friends and learn their recipes that I can take back to cook for my family. I’m also an artist who enjoys exploring different areas and mediums of art. I find that creating things challenges me to think moreabstractly because of my cultural background and my urban life.
Maneet Kaur Johal
My name is Maneet Johal and I’m a junior at Enicnal Jr. Sr. High School. I am from the bay area and grew up in Alameda, CA. I have a passion for sports including tennis, ultimate frisbee, badminton, and track & field. I currently work as an optometric assistant and volunteer at preschool and elementary schools where I love to nurture our community’s youth. I’ve always had an interest in healthcare and helping the community from a young age. As I was growing up, I’ve seen many doctors do amazing procedures for patients which have inspired me. After high school, I hope to go into the premed pathway and pursue my career as a doctor in the future. To reach my goal of becoming a doctor, I know, I have to gain more experience, explore opportunities to engage in my community, and continue to serve where there is need. Luckily, I found out about FACES for the Future which has given me a wonderful opportunity to gain more experience and knowledge in something I love. In the FACES Youth Advisory Council, I plan on making connections with new people and being able to support my community, and having a better vision of the field I want to pursue as my career.
Nicole Ozene
I am Nicole Ozene raised in Oakland, CA, I am a FACES Alumni from the Class of 2007 from Skyline High School. While in the FACES program I was a part of the Youth Health Leader program where I provided health and nutrition classes to school-aged children. I graduated from California State University, East Bay with a BA in psychology in 2013 and a Master’s in Social Work in 2019 with an emphasis in Children and Family as well as a Title-IVE recipient. I am currently a Child Welfare Worker in Alameda County where I work with foster youth from ages 15-21 and assess for child abuse and neglect. I am currently registered as an Associate Clinical Social Worker gaining hours to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker to further my experience working in the mental health field. I was previously employed as a Behavior Health Counselor at the East Bay Agency for Children where I worked with children with challenging behaviors in the public school district. I also have experience working with children with Autism as a Behavior Interventionist where I provided one on one in-home therapy where I implemented treatment plan goals.
Rayyan Warraich
Rayyan Warraich is a Junior at Dougherty Valley High School in San Ramon. He has ambitions to get into the medical field to pursue a degree as a MD with the speciality of oncology. Rayyan feels that his unique multi-racial background can help him relate and bridge the gap of healthcare to his future patients. Rayyan in his free time likes to produce music and play basketball and football.
Shante Daan Jensen
Ya’at’eeh (hello)!
My name is Shante Jensen (she/her), 2019 FACES Graduate from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Currently pursuing my undergraduate at Northern Arizona University studying Exercise Science. As an Indigenous woman in STEM I hope to use my teachings of both my traditional knowledge and contemporary knowledge of medicine in the western world.
Liliana Quijada-Madrid
My name is Lilian Quijada Madrid and I’m currently a third year pursuing a degree in Public Health, following the Premed pathway. I was born and raised in the Bay Area and have lived in San Francisco my entire life. In the future, I hope to become the first person in my family to have graduated college and become a doctor. I’ve known that I wanted to pursue a career in the health field ever since I was little but knew I had to seek out internship opportunities to get one step closer to achieving my goal, and that’s where FACES for the Future came in. As a former high school student, the FACES for the Future program gave me my first real exposure into the medical field which I will always be grateful for. With being a part of the FACES youth advisory council, I hope to gain a better understanding of the health field, build strong interpersonal relationships with the people I work with, and ultimately give back to my community by encouraging others to always go after their dreams.