Meet NJCIC’s Immigrant Youth Advocates
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Marlene
Marlene taps into her experience with mental health to raise awareness. Her mission is to ensure immigrant youth that they are not alone in their struggles and, through the podcast platform, empower them to overcome challenges.
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Irving
As a first-generation immigrant, Irving is inspired by his fellow advocates, and is driven to create positive change within his community. His experiences have fueled his commitment to empowering others, advocating for social justice, and fostering a more inclusive environment.
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Nathaly
As an immigrant from Ecuador and first-generation engineering student, Nathaly has learned how to navigate through classrooms, leadership roles, and corporate spaces without always having someone guiding the way. From leading student organizations to collaborating in different university STEM programs, she has worked to make opportunities feel less out of reach for others. She wants immigrant youth to know that they belong, their voices matter, and they do not have to change who they are to succeed.
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Melissa
Melissa is driven by her firsthand experiences with the challenges of the immigration system in her family's daily life. She is dedicated to empowering her community and making a positive impact.
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Albaraa
Albaraa’s personal experience drives his advocacy for holistic investment in immigrant communities. As an advocate, he hopes to strengthen thecollective voice and invest his time and energy into something greater than himself, giving back to those who feel unheard!
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Jose
What drives Jose is his love of his family and his passion for helping his community which has helped shape him into who he is today.
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Rosa
As a first-gen undocumented immigrant, Rosa experienced firsthand the challenges her community faced due to language and social barriers. Throughout school, she has been a strong advocate for raising awareness about issues faced by undocumented immigrants.
Lifting Immigrant Youth Voices
Immigrant Youth Advocates (formerly known as the Mental Health Advocates) is NJCIC’s leadership development and narrative change program. It brings together first- and second-generation immigrants from high school to early twenties to start conversations in their communities on issues affecting mental health and overall wellbeing. NJCIC aims to create a safe space for immigrant youth to explore all the intricacies of the immigrant experience.
Application for our 2027-28 cohort opens Spring 2027!
The Immigrant Youth Advocates work includes:
Migrants with Migraines: A regular youth-led podcast, planned, recorded, edited, and released by the advocates on all major podcast platforms
Social media presence @migrantswithmigraines on IG and TikTok.
Workshops to gain an understanding of political processes, policy frameworks, and engagement in media advocacy with guest speakers
Advocacy and how to lift concerns and address challenges in Access to Education, Justice, and Health Equity.
For more information about this program or if you want to be a guest speaker, contact Alysia Colon at acolon@njcic.org.
Mission & Vision of the Immigrant Youth Advocates
The Immigrant Youth Advocates lead change in their communities by transforming their lived experiences into community conversations, fostering safe spaces for immigrant youth to stay informed and amplify social and cultural realities, and advocating for a more just and equitable New Jersey. Through educational workshops, podcast production, and social media advocacy the Immigrant Youth Advocates uplift diverse immigrant voices, challenge barriers, and empower youth to recognize the power of their own experiences.
The Immigrant Youth Advocates envision a future where immigrant youth feel seen, heard, equipped and empowered to lead change in their communities.
