Turning to Nature: A YES Alumna Shares Her Story
Seven years ago, YES completed the first of our policy, systems, and environmental change projects with a group of ten YES Youth Engagement Team (YET) teen leaders. Over the course of an academic year, our teen leaders who had participated in YES programs as campers came together weekly to learn and conduct research about an issue in the community and advocate for change. They also incorporated nutrition and physical activities practices into their own lives, and promoted these practices with their peers, and across the larger community in Richmond.
One of those youth, Gillian, or “Leaf” as she was referred to at camp, became a YET leader and participated in several outings and Family Camps with YES. Her desire to support her peers, her thirst for adventure, and her infectious smile and optimism were characteristics that defined her time with YES. Reflecting on her time in the program, Gillian states, “YES provided me with one my first experiences of healing in the community. They were able to bring health awareness to myself and others about what we put in our bodies as far as nutrition as well as what surroundings we immersed ourselves in. They gave me my first tools to be a leader to help analyze, develop, and execute a plan to make a positive impact on my community’s health.”
Upon graduating from Pinole Valley High, Gillian began her college career at Cal State Bakersfield. Five years later in May 2020, she graduated with a B.S. degree in Biochemistry with a focus in Food Science, in part due to the learning and experience she had through the learning and research she did with YES.
As Gillian was finishing her B.S., she was engaged in science research internships and volunteer work. Then COVID hit and everything came to a halt including her internship, income, and housing. As a result, Gillian experienced housing insecurity for more than one month. Fortunately, her love for nature and familiarity with the outdoors allowed her to look at the bright side of things. She got rid of many of her possessions and relied on her car, tent, and camping smarts to live and travel in the Sierras. “I was homeless and I went to the outdoors because that’s what I knew. I lived in the mountains and I wouldn’t have had the tools [to do that] if it hadn’t been for YES,” Gillian reflected. “Nature allowed me to rebalance myself, my mind, my body, and my soul. YES implemented some foundations for me to be able to self-reflect and find places to escape when there weren’t too many places to go.”
After coming back north to the Bay Area to provide care for her 90-year-old grandmother, Gillian now lives in a short-term rental in Oakland. She is working as a caregiver and applying for medical school. She enjoys care giving for those who can’t do so for themselves, all the more so during the pandemic. She also knows how much emotional strength and resolve it takes to be fully present and capable to help those who struggle.
Ultimately, Gillian wants to start her own free healthcare clinic and bring in doctors and medicines to treat patients who need them. “In my experience with YES, I was inspired to take the tools they instilled in me to build on them and continue to become the ultimate health advocate in my community I strive to be,” Gillian stated. Her dream is to “see a world where everyone has free healthcare.” Gillian knows firsthand how crucial it is for her own wellbeing. “I have free healthcare until I’m 26. My friends in Bakersfield didn’t have healthcare because many of them were immigrants. They couldn’t go to the doctor and get [medicine] when they got sick.”
Her clinic vision includes bringing in residents and doctors from all walks of life. To have a great clinic and hospital requires great outreach programs. As Gillian states, “Right now, we don’t have enough doctors to relate to and who connect with the community. Doctors are starting to lose compassion and that’s really sad.”
As Gillian applies for medical school, her compassion, resilience, and positivity are clearly things the world needs more of right now. As YES prepares to launch our new Young Adult Program, we are excited to welcome Gillian back to YES as an alumna and look forward to supporting her journey to fulfill her vision, and learn from her experiences and leadership.
Authors Note: As Gillian completes applications for medical school, she is looking for a mentor to help her review essays and navigate the application process. If you, or someone else you know, is a doctor or is connected to a medical institution who may be able to help, please email us.