This is a true account of why and how Young People For works in the daily lives of fellows. My name is Corina McCarthy-Fadel and I am a 2008 Young People For fellow representing Oglethorpe University and a proud member of the Southern Region. My background is in community organizing; specifically in the youth and hip hop communities. I am a Hip Hop Organizer for Hip Hop Media Lab, and intern for Project South and an intern with the Frontlines Tour: a national hip hop organizing tour working to united people through music. Actually, right now I am writing to you from a café in Fresno, California while on tour.

Here is my story:

Maya Torralba is our featured fellow for the month of July.

Maya is the proud mother of Chado and twins Matthias and Kateri. She is also the founder of the Community Esteem Project in Anadarko, Oklahoma and a 2008 Young People For fellow at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.

In this interview, she talks about the importance of community esteem, the power of traditions and how other YP4 fellows have inspired her.

On the opening night of the 4th Annual YP4 National Summit, Fellows had an opportunity to connect and chill with each other at an open mic event that I had the absolute pleasure of hosting. It is amazing how sharing our experiences, our passions, and our selves through artistic expression can quickly create a community. This is the power of creative resistance—artistic agitation provides the space for critical reflection and reaffirmation, for both self and the community.