I am a spoken word poet who comes from a long line of self-proclaimed artists, living in some of the most destitute neighborhoods of the San Francisco Bay Area. I know what it’s like to be an at-risk youth, and I know the experience of seeking refuge in an arts organization where beauty and creativity is nurtured. For four years, I worked with Youth Speaks, a literary arts organization based in San Francisco. For four years, I also served as the president and leader of the Berkeley Youth Commission.

During my time, working in various local youth arts organizations, I witnessed the transformative results that writing and expression workshops had on the participants. In plenty of sessions youth members were challenged to self-reflect in their writing, which made most of us emotional and vulnerable. As both a participant and facilitator, I wanted to explore how the work we made for ourselves could also benefit our families and communities. Thus far, I have been able to facilitate writing, performing arts, visual arts, and art-as-therapy workshops to several communities in California, Rhode Island, Arusha, Tanzania, and Cabarete, Dominican Republic. My plan is to never stop.