|
Rachel Antrobus, Vice Chair
Department of Children, Youth, and Families
Jared Boldemann, Treasurer
Stone and Youngberg
Paige Buck
San Francisco Works
Toby Eastman
Larkin
Street Youth Services
Gail Goldman
US Department
of Housing & Urban Development
Arlene Hylton
San
Francisco Independent Living Skills Program
Kordnie-Jamillia Lee, Secretary
Alameda County TIP Program, Family Youth and Children Services
Andrew Niklaus, Chair
First
Place for Youth
Carole Watson
United Way
of the Bay Area
Board Positions Open
For more information contact Sara Razavi at 415-808-4435 or srazavi@uwba.org |
|
Steven Adams • 415-808-4256 • sadams@uwba.org
 For Steven Adams, growing up happened fast, at the age of eight he was said to have a mental illness which caused him to act out on compulsiveness. Due to the illness the doctor claimed he had, his mother placed Steven into a school that dealt with only foster care children and kids on probation and medically sanctioned students to attend. Although Steven was aware of how the “system” treated its clients he eventually fell into all of the categories that his school deals with. When Steven was 18, he graduated from the court ordered program that he had been attending. After graduation from his program Steven continued to graduate at his high school and eventually went on to college, earning an associate in arts. Steven wants to continue his trend of successful graduations as he works towards the goals that get him where he wants to be.
Chio Saetern • 415-808-4256 • csaetern@uwba.org
 Chio Saetern is a member of EYAB where he works on a team and individually to create and run programs, attend youth conferences, and work with the adults and the youth in the community. When Chio emancipated from foster care at age 18, he lived in a homeless shelter for more than six months before coming to First Place for Youth (a non-profit organization that house emancipated foster youth) for help in finding housing and support services. He is passionate about giving back to his community and enjoys working with youth who have grown up in similar situations. He wants to educate others about the resources that are available to foster youth, and those who are affiliated with foster youth. In the future he hopes that he can outreach to youth lifting them up by being a motivational speaker and a youth counselor. In addition to working for HEY he is also an employee at First Place For Youth, and attending Laney Community College in Oakland where he is pursuing a double major in social work and psychology.
Erika White • 415-808-4256 • ewhite@uwba.org
 Erika White is a 21 year old native of Santa Cruz, who recently relocated to San Francisco. She is a new member of the 2008 EYAB board who hopes to focus her work on the mental and behavioral health of foster youth. As an emancipated foster youth herself, Erika brings to the table an array of personal experiences that she hopes can be used to enrich the lives of others. Currently, she is studying Dietetics and Psychology in Monterey, with plans to become a Registered Dietician, and eventually an M.F.T. When not working with HEY, Erika can be spotted working at a Chiropractic office in Pacifica, sampling restaurants, ducking into bookstores, and jogging along the beach.
Erin Williams • 415-808-4256 • erinwilliams@uwba.org
 My name is Erin J. Williams. I was born in San Francisco in the 1980s and raised in Bayview and Hunters Point in a single parent home. I am an emancipated foster youth leader, mother, student, advocate, and public speaker. These things were a part of me before I even realized it. When I was younger I started being active in the community by planting gardens, painting murals on neighborhood schools with youth leaders, and attending a variety of dance classes. I really didn't see what a difference I could make until I experienced foster care. The challenges that I experienced made me understand that I could make a positive change after the obstacle of foster care was behind me. Today I am a mother of a baby boy and a student at City College working towards my A.A. in Health and Science in the Guardian Scholars program. I recently was selected to work with HEY (Honoring Emancipated Youth), which is fulfilling my dream of being a leader and an advocate for change by speaking about foster youth struggles, but most of all our victories. |
Sara Razavi • Executive Director • 415-808-4435 • srazavi@uwba.org
 Sara Razavi is the Executive Director of Honoring Emancipated Youth (HEY), a San Francisco-based foster care advocacy organization working to strengthen and connect San Francisco’s systems of support for Bay area foster care youth so that all youth emancipating from foster care can enjoy a healthy transition to adulthood. HEY focuses its advocacy in four areas: housing, health, education, and employment.
Prior to HEY, Sara was the Parent and Youth Development Program Coordinator at I Have a Dream Foundation located in Aim High Academy Middle School in San Francisco and before that she was the Education Programs Coordinator at The Friendly Center, a family resource center in Orange County. She is a foster youth advocate with a background in education and direct service work with youth from underrepresented communities.
Dana Mandolesi • HEY Project Manager • 415-808-4284 • dmandolesi@uwba.org
 Mandolesi is recent addition to Honoring Emancipated Youth (HEY ) in the newly created Project Manager position. Mandolesi holds a Master’s Degree in Sociology from the University of New Orleans and specializes in qualitative research methods. She has developed research projects, interviewed countless people in professional and academic settings, worked as a case manager, and a housing advocate and urban design PhD student in Costa Rica. She has also worked as a Voluntary Agency Liaison in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and was responsible for collaborating and maintaining relationships with non-profit and faith based organizations, eventually culminating in a guide promoting best practices and communication strategies between agencies active in disaster. At HEY, Mandolesi manages the 2-year Emancipation Research Project and supports the Emancipated Youth Advocacy Board (EYAB), a team of emancipated foster youth who teach the community about foster youth issues, among other projects. |
