Anastacia Duenas
San Mateo County
Project: Peer Mentor Program
Anastacia Duenas is a Bay Area native who grew up all over the Peninsula. Her mom raised Anastacia by herself while also dealing with addiction and going to back to school for a higher education. She is an only child and is 19 years old. She currently attends San Mateo adult school and is working towards her high school diploma. Seeing her mom and many kids she grew up with struggling with addiction and poverty has made her very passionate about helping people and trying to find long term solutions for these conditions. When she was in high school she acted out and didn't take it seriously because she didn't realize there was a way out or a different life than the one she was living. Working with Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY), a nonprofit that aims to break the cycle of crime and incarceration of teens, has opened so many doors for Anastacia just by introducing her to simple things such as environmental conservation, volunteering with elderly citizens, leadership workshops and much more. Anastacia used to not care about her community because she didn't feel she had one but she now realizes that she, along with the help of other active members in the community, could create one: "Be the change that you wish to see in world." Mahatma Gandhi
Partnering with FLY, Anastacia will use her award funds to match youth with slightly older peers who have had similar experiences in a unique mentorship model.
Read an interview with Anastacia: Breaking the Cycle in Juvenile Justice
San Mateo County
Project: Peer Mentor Program
Anastacia Duenas is a Bay Area native who grew up all over the Peninsula. Her mom raised Anastacia by herself while also dealing with addiction and going to back to school for a higher education. She is an only child and is 19 years old. She currently attends San Mateo adult school and is working towards her high school diploma. Seeing her mom and many kids she grew up with struggling with addiction and poverty has made her very passionate about helping people and trying to find long term solutions for these conditions. When she was in high school she acted out and didn't take it seriously because she didn't realize there was a way out or a different life than the one she was living. Working with Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY), a nonprofit that aims to break the cycle of crime and incarceration of teens, has opened so many doors for Anastacia just by introducing her to simple things such as environmental conservation, volunteering with elderly citizens, leadership workshops and much more. Anastacia used to not care about her community because she didn't feel she had one but she now realizes that she, along with the help of other active members in the community, could create one: "Be the change that you wish to see in world." Mahatma Gandhi
Partnering with FLY, Anastacia will use her award funds to match youth with slightly older peers who have had similar experiences in a unique mentorship model.
Read an interview with Anastacia: Breaking the Cycle in Juvenile Justice
