Featured Youth
Behind every conversation, every training, and every shift in perspective are real people with real experiences.
This section highlights stories, reflections, and voices from young people connected to Open Doors — whether through our Youth Council, the Facilitator-in-Training Program, or the broader community.
Youth Voice: Grace Wolfman’s Perspective as a Facilitator-in-Training
Facilitator-in-Training Grace Wolfman reflects on bringing youth voice to the Partnerships for Well-Being Institute Conference and shares how restorative justice, support, and meaningful mentorship helped her grow as a young facilitator.
Youth Voice: Eve Valdez
Open Doors Youth Council member Eve Valdez shares how her lived experience shapes her approach to healing, advocacy, and supporting young people.
More Than a Mandate: How Youth Voice Shaped the Open Doors Curriculum
When the Open Doors training curriculum was first taking shape, the team faced a foundational question: Who belongs at the table? For Tia Cochran-Otis, Curriculum Development Lead, the answer was immediate: young people.
Youth Voice: Meet Coatlupe “Lupita” Martinez
Coatlupe “Lupita” Martinez (they/she) is a member of the Open Doors Youth Council, and that’s only one part of who they are. They’re an herbalist, a student, a youth organizer, an older sibling, and someone on their healing journey.
Youth Voice: A Conversation with Axel Pecero
This past August, Open Doors Youth Council member Axel Pecero was detained by ICE while attending an Open Doors training and youth council meeting in Burbank, California.
Today, he is still forcibly held in an ICE facility while awaiting a decision from the judge on his fate.