Yesenia Cruz

Yesenia Cruz is an Indigenous Zapotec woman born in Oaxaca, Mexico and raised in Northern California. After transferring from Santa Rosa Junior college, she graduated from California State University Northridge with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Chicana and Chicano Studies. Over the last nine years Yesenia has worked with various organizations and nonprofits centering youth and social justice across Northern and Southern California. As the Director of Youth Programs at Pacoima Beautiful, she develops youth programs and works to ensure proper execution of all grant deliverables.

Yesenia is dedicated to empowering youth through leadership development creates positive change in our communities. She believes that providing young people with tools of self-empowerment begins the healing of communities that have been historically excluded. She is passionate about creating sustainable and equitable communities and is in the process of getting her master’s degree in Urban Planning. Yesenia believes that access to resources such as education, healthy food, clean air, nature, and the outdoors is critical to the health and wellbeing of Black and Indigenous People of Color as it offers a space for healing and grounding specially for youth. On her free time, she enjoys hiking, camping, and gardening.