2023-24 KORYO Youth Participants & Contributers
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Jacqueline Garay
Contributor
Jacqueline Garay is a Prevention Specialist II at Koreatown Youth & Community Center under the Prevention Education unit. She currently works on the Youth Opioid Response project leading a youth leadership program called Koreatown Organizing to Reduce Youth Opioid Use (KORYO) that focuses on informing youth about opioids and stimulants and increasing youth access to recovery services. Jacqueline has a bachelor's degree in Health Science: Community Health Education and a masters of Public Health from the California State University of Long Beach. With a background in Public Health, her focus is to empower communities, promote health, and improve the quality of life of our community through equitable and culturally inclusive policies, programs, and resources. She advocates for her community by seeking ways to remove systemic and structural barriers such as racism, poverty, discrimination, and oppression.
Jacqueline’s story →
Joan Kim
Contributor
Joan Kim is currently a 2025 Master of Health Administration progressive degree candidate at the University of Southern California Price School of Public Policy. Joan incorporates her academic knowledge around healthcare and the social sciences within her current scope of work as a health advocacy intern at Koreatown Youth and Community Center's Koreatown Organizing to Reduce Youth Opioids (KORYO) program in which she focuses on spearheading and creating prevention interventions around opioid awareness that are catered for the Los Angeles service planning area (SPA) #4 communities.
Joan’s story →
Omar Amadour
Contributor
Omar Amador is an MSW candidate at California State University, Los Angeles, expected to graduate in May 2024. Omar is passionate about child welfare, specifically ensuring that children grow up in happy and healthy families, where they are nurtured and given the opportunities to succeed. He also thoroughly enjoys teaching, engaging, and mentoring youth believing that a strong connection to a caring adult who has their best interests at heart is important for the development of a child.
Omar’s story →
Ashley Garcia
Youth Participant
Ashley Garcia is a senior at Rise Kohyang High School. She is motivated to take the initiative to learn more about opioids and how to help people get the resources that they need for their recovery. She believes in the importance of storytelling and interviewing people so that stories can be told as they are without modifications. Ashley is interested in pursuing medical school after graduating. Her hobbies include crocheting, playing the violin, and rewatching Disney movies.
ashley's story →
Ashlin Alvarez
Youth Participant
Ashlin Alverez is a senior at USC Hybrid High College Prep. She joined KORYO to build her leadership and communication skills. Ashlin is looking forward to sharing resources around her community and educating her family and friends about substance use and misuse. In her free time, Ashlin loves singing, dancing, playing basketball, and eating vanilla ice cream!
ashlin's story →
Brianna Rizzo
Youth Participant
Brianna Rizzo is a junior at Los Angeles Senior High School. As a part of KORYO, she is excited to attend outreach events and talk to people about opioid use in Koreatown. Brianna feels an important aspect of KORYO is that we go out there and make a change. Brianna is also the secretary of KYCC’s BRIDGE program and volunteers at Cedars-Sinai Hospital.
brianna's story →
Diana Kim
Youth Participant
Diana Kim is a senior at Marymount High School. Diana joined KORYO to be a part of the efforts to support the youth in our community. She was drawn into KORYO by the storytelling component and believes that by listening to and telling stories, we can broaden our understanding of the community around us and become more empathetic toward others' unique experiences. Diana’s hobbies include listening to music, watching movies with friends and family, and making and seeing visual art!
diana'S story →
Kate Kim
Youth Participant
Kate Kim is a freshman at Hollywood High School and grew up in Studio City. She wants to learn more about how people can be treated and what causes people to use substances. Kate has always wanted to help others who are struggling and learn how to encourage them to seek help. In her free time, she enjoys blogging and writing.
kate'S story →
Penelope Salomon
Youth Participant
Penelope Salomon is a senior at the International School of Los Angeles, enrolled in the International Baccalaureate Programme. She is a part of the Koreatown Storytelling Program’s Oakland Koreatown Project and is excited to learn more about the Korean community in her hometown and the Bay Area. The idea of recording people's unique oral histories and documenting their individual narratives ignites her passion for oral history. As a part of KORYO, she is looking forward to making a difference in her community and trying to decrease the effects of addiction. She hopes to pursue a career in international relations, political science, or journalism.
penelope'S story →
Johana Martinez
Youth Participant
Johana Martinez grew up in Los Angeles and is a senior at Camino Nuevo Charter Academy. She is passionate about finding community-based solutions to Los Angeles's problems and spreading awareness. Johana is interested in pursuing business and psychology in college. When she's not playing volleyball, you can find her reading, listening to music, or painting.
johana'S story →
Ulices Renoj
Youth Participant
Ulices Renoj is a senior at USC Hybrid High College Prep. He joined KORYO to gain confidence around a group of people working to achieve the same thing and to gain skills to help others. He is excited to share the information he learned with as many people as possible. His favorite hobbies are playing soccer, listening to music, and working out.
ulice'S story →
Katherine Rivas
Youth Participant
Katherine Rivas is a sophomore at University High School Charter. She joined KORYO with the hope of educating herself on effective ways to help improve the wellness of the community regarding drug misuse. She is excited to connect with her community, learn more about it, and use storytelling to build people's confidence and encourage them to reach out for support. Some of her favorite hobbies are listening to music, playing musical instruments, reading crime and mystery books, playing water polo, and swimming.
katherine'S story →
Sieun Yu
Youth Participant
Sieun Yu is a senior at Rise Kohyang High School. Sieun was born in Korea and has lived in Los Angeles since the second grade. She believes in the importance of learning about opioids and stimulants and how they have a significant impact on so many people. She also believes in the role of storytelling in allowing people to hear about others’ experiences and what they have gone through. Some of her favorite hobbies are taking pictures, playing the piano, and playing badminton with her friends and family.
sieun'S story →