Born and raised in San Diego, Melody earned her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from San Diego State University. She continued to earn her Master of Social Work from Louisiana State University. In 2018, she had a desire to affect positive change in lives while giving back to the community. She joined YAC shortly after and transitioned into becoming the Outreach Director. While working with the youth Melody’s life experiences, work with foster youth, and work with survivors of domestic violence makes her relatable and approachable. Her commitment aligns with YAC’s belief that consistent positive social support empowers the youth towards transformative opportunities.

Kris is a native Californian and San Diego County resident for over 30 years. Her focus at Youth Assistance Coalition is helping youth achieve their educational goals. Kris has years of experience working with teenagers and young adults. She volunteered at a drop in center for youth experiencing homelessness. As a founding member of Youth Assistance Coalition, Kris engages in street outreach, mentoring, and tutoring. She has taught university lab courses, mentored graduate students, and served as an advisor on thesis committees. Kris has a B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology from the University of California, Davis and a PhD in Biology from the University of California, Riverside. As an ecologist, she studies rare, threatened and endangered species in Southern California.

Shirin is a San Diego transplant from NY. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Anthropology at Hofstra University in NY. From there she joined the NY City Teaching Fellows and taught grades 4 and 5 in Brownsville, Brooklyn, NY. When she moved to San Diego in 2006, she began teaching at The Charter School of San Diego which serves grades 6-12. She taught for 9 years and then became an academic counselor for 4 years. While working with The Charter School of San Diego, Shirin counseled many youth experiencing homelessness. She saw firsthand how homelessness severely impacted these students’ educational and social wellbeing. Shirin wanted to do more to advocate for them and that is when she decided to volunteer for YAC. Her main goal is to be of service wherever she can so that the biggest impact can be made to help the youth.

Kade is one of the original co-founders of Youth Assistance Coalition. Kade previously worked for four years as a special education teacher, and two years as a Supportive Case Manager for youth experiencing homelessness. They received extensive client-centered training through San Diego Youth Services and has expansive internship experience with Child Welfare Services. Kade was a Title IV-E recipient and received a Master of Social Work Degree from California State University-San Marcos. Kade has a wealth of knowledge surrounding community resources, client compassion, and trauma-informed care. Kade works to engage with local organizations and continue developing a coalition towards alleviating youth homelessness.