Staff

While our programming is student-led, nothing could take place without these dedicated supporters of youth voice.

We operate on a lean staff and the help of volunteers to maximize our impact and keep costs low. Our program staff typically hold full-time jobs in the education system, and support YCD programs in a part-time capacity.

Looking for a job or part-time role? Check out YCD’s open positions here and join our team!

Nikki Archuleta

Nikki Archuleta

Adult Mentor – YCD New Mexico Student Board
Albuquerque, New Mexico
(505) 804-6790
narchuleta@ycdiversity.org

Nikki Archuleta (she/her) is an activist, humanitarian, educator scholar, poet, podcaster, community organizer and revolutionary! She is a firm believer in fighting to obliterate oppression across the board and fighting for the equality and equity of the historically disenfranchised. As a woman of African, Mexican, and Indigenous decent she has fallen in love with her people and though their stories are the most tragic it’s the beauty and resilience of those who came before her that have guided her footsteps towards liberation. Whether she is organizing a protest or march, or just in her community trying to build hope and change on a foundation that has denied her and so many others their humanity, she is a powerhouse and has no plans of slowing down.

She has worked with countless organizations such as Black Lives Matter, the Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP), The Red Nation, Power through Peace as well as creating The Albuquerque Arts Collective to create a platform for local artists to share their craft all while raising money for important causes.

Gina Cordova

Adult Mentor – YCD New Mexico Student Board
Albuquerque, New Mexico
‪(505) 226-2545
gina.cordova@aps.edu

Gina Cordova (she/her) is a high school health and English teacher at Highland High School, located in Albuquerque’s international district. She currently works at the school she graduated from, which makes her specially connected and adept to the community.

Gina graduated from the University of New Mexico with a degree in English and a minor in psychology. Gina’s passion for literature and the arts is tightly connected to her passion for social justice, which she embeds into her teaching style inside the classroom. Gina is also the head sponsor of Highland’s Genders & Sexualities Alliance (GSA) in which she aids in supporting her students in advocating for a school culture that is diverse, safe, and proud.

Mason Estes

Mason Estes

Adult Mentor – YCD Colorado Student Board
Denver, Colorado
(720) 933-0929
masestes22@gmail.com

Mason Estes (he/him) is La Jolla Band-Luiseño (a federally recognized tribe of Southern California) born in Boulder, Colorado.

Mason graduated from Broomfield High School in 2018 and from the University of Denver in 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the Daniels College of Business. Mason has served as DU Student Body Vice President, a member of DU’s Native Student Alliance, and served as a founding member of DU’s Native American Indigenous Advisory Council. Mason looks forward to a future in service to his family and his community and supporting youth in their journey as leaders!

Sybenie Hernandez

Program Manager – YCD Colorado
Denver, Colorado
(303) 335-9585
shernandez@ycdiversity.org

Sybenie Hernandez (she/her) is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), with extensive experience in higher education, community mental healthcare, and DEI education and consulting. She’s known for her expertise in supporting immigrant rights, improving information accessibility, and promoting housing justice.

Sybenie graduated from the University of Colorado Denver with a Bachelor of Science in Business Information Systems. Her unique combination of technical skills and social impact ideals have helped her in her work of empowering historically marginalized communities and fostering collective liberation.

Sybenie’s core values of equity, justice, and learning guide her professional journey. As a proud Chicana mother and spouse from the Northside of Denver, Colorado, she brings a unique perspective to her work, enriching every project with cultural humility and a deep understanding of the community she serves.

Taylor Jordan

Adult Mentor – YCD Fort Morgan
Fort Morgan, Colorado
taylor.jordan@collegeaccessnavigators.org

Taylor Jordan (she/her) is the founder of College Access Navigators (CAN), a grassroots organization dedicated to co-creating bright futures with youth. She began her journey in education as an ELD (English Language Development) teacher and was inspired to further pursue her education, earning a Master’s in Ethnic and Gender Studies to deepen her understanding of systemic discrimination within society and education. Her commitment is rooted in creating a welcoming and inclusive society – more than just a job, it’s a step towards the future we envision. In our ongoing efforts, she is thrilled to partner with YCD, fostering an environment where youth and educators explore identity, educate peers, and collectively enhance inclusivity in Colorado schools for everyone.

Socorro Mosqueda

Adult Mentor – YCD Fort Morgan
Fort Morgan, Colorado
socorro.mosqueda@morgan.k12.co.us

Hola a todos! Socorro Mosqueda (she/her) is an educator, advocate and creative being. Socorro’s passion for her hometown has led her into the role as the Morgan County School District’s Migrant Family Outreach Coordinator. She has been with the School District since 2014, teaching Early Childhood Development. In 2020, she went on to teach English Language Development at the elementary level. She is currently still in the school district committed to being an advocate for students migrating to Colorado who have a background in agricultural farm work. She empowers students in the Migrant Education Program to find their voice and a sense of belonging.

She takes great pride in collaborating with many organizations in the community to connect families and students to resources. As a sponsor in the public High School’s Diversity Club, she hopes to aid students in making positive changes in the world by discussing real-world issues, creating classroom community and modeling a growth mindset.

Caleb Munro surrounded by teens smiling

Caleb Munro

Executive Director
Denver, Colorado
(720) 507-0746
cmunro@ycdiversity.org

Caleb Munro (he/him) serves as YCD’s Executive Director and is responsible for marketing, fundraising, and program oversight.

In 2014 Caleb led the establishment of Youth Celebrate Diversity as a non-profit in order to continue the important work of the Cherry Creek Diversity Conference (now YCD Colorado), as well as to seek opportunities to expand on its model. He was passionate about continuing this vital program as an alumnus of the program himself, which provided him crucial support during his high school years while he struggled with his sexuality, religious identity, and the impacts of living in a large, single-parent, low-income family. Caleb shepherded YCD through its formation by drafting its Bylaws; recruiting its Board of Directors; and overseeing the organization’s approval for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status with the IRS.

Since working full-time for YCD in 2017, Caleb has overseen the organization’s growth to reach over 3,000 teens annually across six programs, including expansion into New Mexico, as well as programs in Colorado’s Western Slope and in Fort Collins in collaboration with Colorado State University.

Caleb continues to build YCD’s partnerships with school districts, colleges and universities, and other non-profit organizations to provide more opportunities for young people to organize locally, educate themselves and their peers, and take action for inclusion and social justice. In 2021, he was named as one of ColoradoBiz Magazine’s Most Influential Young Professionals.

Caleb has a BSFS from Georgetown University and an MA in the Teaching of Social Studies from Teachers College, Columbia University, and lives in Denver, Colorado with his husband Danny and dog Acorn.

Joseph Onema

Social Media Intern
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Joseph Onema (he/him) is a senior pursuing a degree in Nonprofit Administration and Management at The University of Oklahoma, with a minor in Sociology and Digital Marketing. Throughout both his high school and college career, Joseph has always had a passion for helping out his community through the channel of representation. He actively seeks opportunities to engage with various communities, ensuring that their stories are authentically represented and celebrated. Joseph firmly believes that fostering visibility and extending support are essential pillars for achieving equity in society, and he consistently employs these principles as guiding lights in any role he assumes. Keeping these considerations in focus, Joseph plans to highlight the richness of diversity across all YCD’s social media platforms, ensuring that the content is not only entertaining but also informative.

Leila Parker

Virtual Intern
Boston, Massachusetts

Leila Parker (she/her) is a senior pursuing a degree in Media Arts Production at Emerson College, with a concentration in television, film, and entertainment. She is passionate about the craft of storytelling as a medium to explore diverse perspectives and create visibility for individuals not always well-represented in the industry. Before embarking on her college journey in Boston, Leila grew up in Denver and is a proud graduate of its public schools. This educational background paved the way for her involvement with numerous local non-profits during middle and high school, sparking her realization that her craft could be a powerful tool to make a positive impact in her community and school. Drawing from her experience producing a youth issues talk show and collaborating with peers in film programs, Leila aims to spotlight and celebrate the youth perspectives of today through her work on the Teens Talk podcast.

Jason Powell

Adult Mentor – YCD Fort Collins
Fort Collins, Colorado
(970) 488-7041
jpowell@psdschools.org

Jason Powell (he/him) is an educator, coach, and writer. One of his primary goals is to amplify student voice. As the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion specialist at Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins, he works to help the school system change to be able to support, encourage and educate all students. As a strong Black man and role model, he encourages students to not hide their identity to be successful.

Dr. Kinette Richards

Kinette Richards

Adult Mentor – YCD Colorado Student Board
Aurora, Colorado
(720) 747-3112
kinetterl@gmail.com

Kinette Richards, PhD, NCC (she/her) is a Licensed School Psychologist, and Nationally Certified Counselor working in Aurora, Colorado. She received her Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Colorado Denver, and received her Doctorate in School Psychology from the University of Denver. She has over 25 years of mental health experience, working in a variety of settings, and she has worked with pre-school aged children through adults in her tenure in mental health.

As a school psychologist, she has worked with adolescents and children in elementary, middle, and high school, as well as alternative settings for high school students. She has a passion for equity work, and is an advocate for students and families of color in school settings. She leads the district’s Mental Health Equity Team, which is a group of Mental Health professionals focusing on social justice issues. During the past fifteen years she has taken a lead role in the discussion and training of staff members at the school and district level, on the issue of race and the achievement gap, and the over-representation of students of color in disciplinary actions. Her current focus in equity work is on the impact of implicit bias and the role it plays in service delivery.

She was a member of the Georgetown Day School Equity Collaborative Faculty, in Washington D.C., which for six years trained Public and Independent school personnel to address issues of equity and privilege in their settings. She was a 2016-2017 Ambassador Fellow for the Colorado Education Association, addressing the School to Prison Pipeline, and was a mentor supervising several Ambassador Fellows for the 2017-2018 school year. She has recently been appointed to the Advisory Board of Learning for Justice, a national organization that develops trainings and curriculum for school personnel and other professionals interested in doing and leading equity work in school districts. Additionally, she was recently appointed to an APA (American Psychological Association) task force, addressing issues of parenting and racial stress, and she is an Adjunct Professor for School Psychology at the University of Denver.

Jody Snow

Adult Mentor – YCD Fort Collins
Fort Collins, Colorado
(320) 287-0166
jsnow@psdschools.org

Jody Snow (she/her) has been an educator for more than 25 years. For the past several years she has been working with the diverse population at Fort Collins High School. She was instrumental in developing the Caminos partnership between Fort Collins High School and Colorado State University. Caminos was created to enhance educational opportunities while acknowledging the issues facing Latiné students. She encourages students find their voices and hopes to empower them to create a culture where all students feel valued. Jody is also the sponsor of FCHS’s Latin American Student Alliance, whose goal is to share the many aspects of Latin American culture with the school’s staff and student body.