Our Story:
In 2006, worried about and heartbroken over a spike in youth violence, the San Diego community gathered with a goal to work together better for our children. Led by the work of the San Diego Organizing Project, they identified the catalyst of the tragedy: slashed funding for youth programs and services. Then, the elected officials, community organizers, committed public servants, religious leaders and parents created a plan they believed would bring a better future for San Diego.
The group knew re-establishing funding was only a piece of the solution. Their plan included a Youth Development Office (YDO) that would be devoted to making youth a priority by creating an integrated system that would protect children and youth from being the victims the next time the city faced financial struggles. The YDO would also ensure that the various perspectives and approaches in the county coordinated to support San Diego’s youth.
After years of hard work and advocacy, the establishment of the YDO was set in motion. It would be an office within the City of San Diego with the power to coordinate collaboration for policy development and service provision. Sadly, despite getting very close, the YDO never came to be within the City of San Diego. However, that does not mean good work was not done. The first iteration of the YDO helped set in motion a regional initiative to lower the rate of youth who are not working or in school. Learn more about the San Diego Youth Opportunity Pathways Initiative.
Towards the end of 2018, our former executive director, youth leaders, and board members embarked on a journey to rebrand what used to be known as the Youth Development Office. In May 2019, during the San Diego Workforce Partnership Opportunity Summit, that rebranding was unveiled and the newly branded Youth Will came to reality.
Youth Will
Our Vision: A San Diego where every young person has what they need to be happy, healthy, and prepared to reach their potential
Our Mission: To build youth power, improve youth development, and demand youth prioritization




Youth Empowerment
We focus on giving voice to those age 25 and younger.

Policy Change
Advocacy for policy priorities to build a more equitable future
What We Do:


Youth Leadership Development & Advocacy
Our youth action teams meet regularly to guide priority focus, and advocate for the changes our youth have identified to create a better San Diego.

Mentorships
Youth-led model in which adult allies provide support & advice.
Meet Our Staff:

Safia Haidari
Director of Policy Advocacy & Organizing
Safia Haidari is a first generation Afghan-American. After graduating from San Diego State University with a bachelor’s in Social Science, Safia started working with various community based organizations. She spent time volunteering with the International Rescue Committee and working with refugee youth to assist them with navigating career and educational advancements. Hearing these stories of resiliency allowed her to discover her passion for amplifying youth voices and providing young people the tools needed to create the communities they wish to see. Safia currently serves as the Director of policy advocacy and organizing at Youth Will.

Maya De La Torre
Director of Communications & Internal Development
Maya De La Torre was born in San Diego and raised in the Bay Area. She holds a B.A. in Behavioral Neuroscience with a minor in Sociology from the University of San Diego. During her time at USD, she served as a Senator for Associated Student Government for two years and was elected as Speaker of Senate during her third year in student government. On campus, Maya also embodied her commitment to promoting diversity in higher education by serving as the President of the Association of Chicanx Activists, the Vice-President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion of Mortar Board National Senior Honor Society, and the student liaison for the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee of the department of psychological sciences. She has also worked with justice-involved youth as a workshop facilitator in juvenile detention facilities and currently serves as a Commissioner for the Juvenile Justice Commission of San Diego County.

Claire Snyder
Youth Organizer
Claire was raised in Sacramento and made her move to San Diego in 2016. She has a B.A in Sociology from San Diego State University. During her time there, she was an active member of Planned Parenthood Generation Action and did organizing around reproductive justice. After graduating,Claire started her career providing services for system involved youth and youth experiencing homelessness. She has also been involved in mutual aid efforts and community organizing in San Diego since graduating. She combines her passion for supporting youth and organizing towards youth liberation and safe communities in her role as the Youth Organizer for Youth Will.
Meet Our Interns:

Alaysja Clark
Social Media & Outreach Intern
Alaysja Clark graduated in 2022 with a degree in Communication from Seattle Pacific University. She is one of the Social Media and Outreach interns for Youth Will and her goal is to strengthen this organization’s online community by creating engaging content. She is very excited to work with the youth in her hometown.

Isabella Campa
Research & Policy Intern
Hello, my name is Isabella. I am a Research and Policy Intern. I currently attend UC San Diego where I’m majoring in public health with a concentration on health policy and minor in healthcare issues. I am very interested in healthcare advocacy and looking forward to working on providing resources to the San Diego youth population.

Tracy Vu
Social Media & Outreach Intern
Hi there, I’m Tracy, a second-year first-generation student at UC San Diego pursuing a B.S. in Cognitive Science with a specialization in Design & Interaction. I am a Social Media & Outreach Intern here at Youth Will! I’ve always been interested in how technology and design can be combined to produce experiences that are significant and useful for users.
As I advance in my profession, my unwavering dedication lies in constantly enhancing my abilities and keeping abreast of the most current design trends and technologies. My ultimate goal is to lend a helping hand to individuals both locally and globally, by streamlining their tasks and alleviating their concerns, no matter the scope.
In my free time, you can find me cooking, watching the sunset, or venturing off to uncharted territories!

Keala Minna-Choe
Research & Policy Intern
Keala Minna-Choe is a junior in high school at Canyon Crest Academy. When she is not playing beach volleyball, Keala advocates for climate justice and youth civic engagement. Keala formerly held the position of the Youth v. Oil lead as a part of SanDiego350, and now serves on their board. Keala is currently the co-lead of the San Diego Climate Reality Project’s YEA Pod and is the Youth Ambassador for the San Diego Green New Deal Alliance. Keala is passionate about uplifting youth voices and improving opportunities for youth to take action.

Zoë Geller Alford
Social Media & Outreach Intern
Zoë (she/her) is an 18 year-old student activist who first got involved with climate justice in her freshman year of high school. Since then, she’s led a fossil fuel divestment campaign for San Diego 350 Youth 4 Climate, emceed the September 24, 2021 city climate strike, led protests against Chase Bank (#1 funder of fossil fuels), worked with March for Our Lives for gun control in schools, and collaborated with Planned Parenthood to educate students on their right to healthcare. She is passionate about empowering young people to advocate for our future.
Meet Our Youth Leaders

Jesus Martin Gallegos-Munoz
CA Opportunity Youth Network (COYN) Fellow

Deeq Ahmed
TechHire Intern

Victoria Dinov
Programming and Organizing Associate

Chloe Cohen

Oscar Rendon
TechHire Intern

Khadijah Abdulmateen
Resources & Organizing Ambassador

Sydney McKenna
Resources & Organizing Ambassador

Tyler Sepulveda
Communications Fellow

Yvania Rubio
TechHire Intern

Subrein Damanhoury
Resources & Organizing Ambassador

David Islas
TechHire Intern

Xzaveon Alvarez
TechHire Intern

Laila Del Rio
Resources & Organizing Ambassador

Kathryn Poeschel
Policy Fellow

Brittany Holman
Communications Intern

Thomas Konrad
Policy Fellow

Precious Letchaw
Resources & Organizing Ambassador

Carlos Torres
TechHire Intern

Hayley Rico
TechHire Intern

Danielle Bongulto
Resources & Organizing Ambassador

Joshua Piedra
Resource Ambassadors Program Coordinator

Monét Panza
TechHire Intern
Meet Our Advisory Board

Becky Phillpott
Board Member
Becky designed and managed targeted youth intervention programs, including Check & Connect Pathways Opportunity Youth, an Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions initiative, Check & Connect High School Persistence research implementation study, and other locally developed attendance and school engagement programs, up until her retirement from the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD). She has worked for more than 30 years in education policy analysis, advocacy, and program development, serving as Policy Analyst to the Board of Education and Legislative Programs Analyst for SDUSD, as well as a Field Director for U.S. Senator Alan Cranston, and U.S. Representative Jim Costa, then a Member of the California State Assembly from the Central Valley. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, Political Science, from San Diego State University. She currently serves on the boards of the Youth Will_ , Harmonium, Inc., and the San Diego State University Alumni Association – Bay Area Regional Council.

Imani Marshall
Board Member
Imani Marshall was raised in Chicago and now lives and works in San Diego. Both cities have taught her about identity, power, health, and place, which she studied as a Political Science major at Amherst College. As a Bill Emerson Nation Hunger Fellow, Imani developed programs and conducted research to improve low-income mothers’ access to breastfeeding support and healthy foods and WIC’s national participation and retention rates. Now, as Mid-City CAN’s Evaluation and Learning Analyst, Imani applies her research, data analysis and evaluation skills to support Mid-City CAN’s programs, organizing, and advocacy. This work builds off her past community organizing experience with President Obama’s reelection campaign and contributes to continued local advocacy & community organizing efforts. She is passionate about working at the intersections of healthcare, public policy, and research to promote well-being in communities that are surviving systemic racism and oppression.

James Halliday
Board Member
James Halliday is currently the Executive Director of A Reason To Survive (ARTS), a creative youth development nonprofit and community arts center located in National City, CA. In previous roles, James was Regional Manager of Collective Shift / LRNG, an MacArthur Foundation-funded education technology platform focused on credentialing out-of-school learning; before that, he was Program Director for the Education Synergy Alliance, where he advanced excellence and equity in school districts across San Diego. After graduating from Stanford, James completed graduate studies abroad, then worked as a journalist for a decade in Eastern Europe and Turkey. James is a serial social entrepreneur; a member of the Rotary 33 chapter in San Diego; board member for the Cabrillo National Monument Foundation and Youth Will; and sits on the City of San Diego’s Citizens Advisory Board on Police-Community Relations. When he’s not working, he’s cooking. When he’s not inside, he’s on hiking or playing tennis. When he’s not here, he’s across the border, in Valle de Guadalupe or at a Xolos match.

Ashley Rodriguez
Board Member
Ashley is the Director of Development at Voice of San Diego. Originally from Northern California, she’s made San Diego her home after receiving her B.A. from San Diego State University and an M.A. in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from University of San Diego. She is passionate about the nonprofit sector and serves as the President of the Sherman Heights Community Center, Programming Chair for the San Diego Leadership Alliance, and member of the Victory Fund Campaign board. Ashley spends her free time bopping around San Diego with her two small dogs.

Joshua Piedra
Board Member

Margie de Ruyter
Board Member
Margie de Ruyter is a coordinator with the San Diego County Office of Education’s College and Career Readiness department, providing career technical education support to K12 school districts and the County’s Juvenile Court and Community Schools. She participates on the community college regional consortium’s Strong Workforce Program workgroups to help inform priorities and goals for K-12 funding and provides support to the College and Career Readiness team in developing strategies to enhance and develop career pathways for K-12 districts. In addition, Margie has over 20 years of experience in the administration and oversight of workforce development funds for the San Diego County region. She led the design, development and implementation of youth and adult workforce training programs, managed procurement processes, monitored annual performance accountability and provided workforce board support. As a consultant with the Public Consulting Group, she led projects within the public workforce development domain, providing subject matter expertise to state and regional clients, designing and implementing best practice solutions. Margie is a workforce development coach for CA Workforce Development Board’s Workforce Accelerator Fund grantees. Margie currently serves on the board of Youth Will and Harmonium Inc. She has a B.A. in Human Services Administration from Springfield College, an Executive Management Certificate from UCLA, and will complete her MPA from Univ of Mass Global in June 2021. Margie enjoys travel and exploring the outdoors hiking throughout SD county.

Desjonae Hixon
Board Member
Desjonae Hixon is a 23 year San Diego native currently attending college full-time studying Fine Arts. She currently is working for herself in her small business selling art and resin crafts locally and through Etsy. Desjonae is a self-taught artist with the hopes of combining her love of art with her passion for youth empowerment. Through her first-hand experiences, she wishes to share her insights with those who may be struggling with violence, homelessness, and neglect. For a few years now she has been more involved with her community committed to advocacy for homeless youth and education in her surrounding areas.

Irving Pedroza
Board Member
Trial Attorney Irving Pedroza has dedicated his life to helping people overcome adversity. Irving practices in courts all over the State of California, litigating hundreds of cases involving personal injury, bad faith insurance, civil rights, and consumer class action. He has recovered millions of dollars for his clients. Irving was born in Guerrero, Mexico from humble beginnings. At the age of six his parents immigrated to the United States, to Escondido, where he grew up. Irving’s family struggled with poverty, mental health disorders, and domestic violence. As a result of his upbringing, Irving has dedicated his life to helping others, through the justice system, or during his spare time through peer-mentor programs. Irving was the first in his family to attend college. After College, he obtained his Juris Doctorate from California Western School of Law. Irving is a relentless and passionate advocate for his community. Aside from Youth Will, Irving serves as a Director and Motivational Speaker with PowerMentor, a non-profit organization that focuses on developing young leaders through mentorship. Additionally, Irving sits on the board of directors for San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association.

Ellen Nash
Board Member
Meet Our Mentors
Helping To Lead Future Generations

Paul L. Watson, Jr.
Power-Building Mentor
Formerly Executive Director of the Training and Research Institute for Residential Youth Centers in New Haven, CT; San Diego Youth and Community Services; and Watson and Associates International. Paul began his career as a youth organizer at the age of 17. He has a Master’s degree from Springfield College. He began a consultant organization in 1998 and specialized in Community Development, Youth Development, Child Welfare, and Organizational Development. He successfully completed International projects in Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan), The Netherlands, Brazil, Jamaica, and Egypt. He is a national trainer in Youth Development and a member of the Community Youth Development Design Team. He was trained as an ICA Participatory Facilitator. Paul has also served as faculty at Springfield College, New School of Architecture and Design, San Diego City College, and UC San Diego. Paul has won numerous awards and has published both books and articles.

Khea Pollard
Policy Mentor
Khea Pollard is a Justice Program Manager for the National Association of Counties, County Innovations Lab, serving County governments across the United States. Khea’s work focuses on the intersection of behavioral health; criminal justice reform; and equity, supporting counties participating in NACo’s flagship initiative “Stepping Up” to reduce the number of individuals with mental illness in county jails. Prior to this role, Khea was the Health and Human Services Policy Advisor and Community Representative for County Supervisor Greg Cox, advising the Supervisor on issues pertaining to children and youth, child welfare, juvenile justice, safety net and eligibility programs, behavioral health and the County Probation Department. She coordinated the Neighborhood Reinvestment and Community Enhancement grant programs on behalf of Supervisor Cox, allocating millions of dollars to community-based organizations over the course of six years. A native San Diegan, Khea graduated from the University of San Diego (USD) with a B.A. in English and a B.A. in Ethnic Studies. She held multiple leadership positions during her time at USD and is a recipient of the prestigious Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges, an award recognizing academic excellence, leadership in extracurricular activities, citizenship and services to the school, and potential for future achievement. She obtained her master’s degree in Nonprofit Leadership and Management at the University of San Diego and has worked on numerous nonprofit consulting projects in the areas of finance, strategic planning, civic engagement, human resources and more. Khea’s passion project is her coffee shop co-owned by her and her mother, Cynthia Ajani. Café X: By Any Beans Necessary’s mission is to build a sacred space that nurtures Black cultural heritage in San Diego while creating generational wealth for its members and surrounding community. Blending advocacy with organizational precision, Café X is connecting people throughout the San Diego region, developing a shared vision to improve the quality of life in marginalized communities – one cup of coffee at a time. Khea also serves on the Executive Committee of the Black Women’s Institute for Leadership Development (BWILD) and is a proud RISE Urban Leadership Program Alumni.

Tareq Haidari
Development Mentor
Tareq Haidari has ten years of government and non-profit sector experience. He has acted as a direct lobbyist and political organizer for nonprofit organizations focused on community development and transportation. Tareq has researched and drafted white papers on a wide range of public policy issues including juvenile criminal justice reform, public transit investment, and youth development. He has a strong understanding of the state and local legislative process, and public budget development. Tareq obtained his BA in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and MA in Public Administration from San Diego State (SDSU).
Youth Will gives a voice and venue to a younger demographic by uniting young leaders and adult allies. We aim to ensure that every person under 25 has access to civic, financial, and social opportunities to lead their best life.
We coordinate and create access to youth advocate programs in accordance with our Youth Bill of Rights. Learn more about our Bill of Rights, priorities, and wins at Community Impact.
Bridging Youth Advocate Programs
Youth Will, known as the Youth Development Office of San Diego at its founding in 2012, set out to create opportunities for young adults and children alike to help them achieve a more equitable future. With fiscal sponsorship provided by RISE Urban Leadership Institute, Youth Will is focused on community organizing, grassroots advocacy, and policy change.
In 2006, concerned organizers, elected officials, public servants, religious leaders, and persons within the local community, set out to address the high incident rates and spikes of youth violence. They recognized the need for more funding for youth programs and services, and together devised a plan they felt would make a brighter future for all.
This plan envisioned paving the way for the creation of the Youth Development Office and included an integrated system aimed at shielding children and youth from being victimized by the city’s financial hardships. Initially, the YDO was to be an office within the city of San Diego that held the power to coordinate policy development and service provisions affecting San Diego youth programs. Unfortunately, the YDO did not come to be, however these efforts set a regional initiative in motion to lower the statistics of unemployed youths and children who are not in school, known today as the San Diego Youth Opportunity Pathways Initiative.
The Youth Development Office rebranded in May 2019 and became Youth Will.
Over the last year, San Diego Youth Will has coordinated 5 programs, totaling $1.72 million for San Diego youth programs:
- June 2021: Created the first and only central office in San Diego for youth advocate programs.
- March 2021: Created youth employment opportunities in community green spaces, through the Youth Environmental/Recreation Corps.
- June 2021: Supported youth employment at rec centers with the City Youth Environment Corp.
- May 2021: Helped young girls feel more free to visit public spaces through the #Free4Me program, funded by San Diego county.
- May 2020: Our Emergency Resource Ambassadors spread emergency COVID-19 resources and supplies for low-income youth.
Help Us Empower San Diego’s Youth

The world we want is only possible if we work together and get involved with the issues facing our youth today.
San Diego is the “eighth-largest city in the United States” and “there are approximately 43,210 16- to 24-year-olds in San Diego County who are not in school and not working.” — San Diego Youth Will is making a difference.
And you can help us make an even greater impact in the San Diego Area. Learn how to Get Involved in coordinating San Diego youth programs with San Diego Youth Will.