Connecting communities, fostering effective storytelling, and leveraging lived expertise for bold change.
Take a look at past years of the Next Generation Fellowship to learn about our alumni and their stories.



We've Come Pretty Far Since We Started
NGF Brings Together
Alumni from
Communities
Across California
- Alameda
- Butte
- Contra Costa
- Fresno
- Kings
- Los Angeles
- Madera
- Merced
- Monterey
- Orange
- Placer
- Riverside
- San Mateo
- Santa Clara
- Sonoma
- San Francisco
- Santa Barbara
- San Bernardino
- Santa Cruz
- San Diego
- Sacramento
- Stanislaus
- Ventura
- Yolo
Alumni By Year
- 2022
- 2021
- 2019 - 2020
- 2018 - 2019
- 2017

- SheLoa McBride
- Zyaire Smith
- Laura German
- Misty Franklin
- Nicole Bronson
- Tuong (Billy) V. Du
- Ana Ojeda Huerta
- Noely Loeza
- Lupita Carballo
- Robert Daniels
- Maria Recarte
- Valentino Zubia

- Alexander Zubia
- Ana Alicia Zepeda
- Valerie Salazar
- Christopher Washington
- Salvador Junior Delgadillo Gomez
- Marlené Mercado
- Emilio Galvan
- Karla Lobo
- Amy Andrea Martinez
- Citlali Mendoza
- Justin Margolis
- Fidel Chagolla
- Chanthon Bun
- Ruben Espinoza
- Angela Parks

- Andrew Winn
- Aurora C Ruvalcaba
- Brayan Pelayo
- Cristian Franco
- Daniel Mendoza
- Elias Gonzales
- Gabe J Rosales
- Lita Tangitau
- Morghan Vélez Young-Alfaro
- Ramon Leija
- Tina Curiel-Allen



Yearly Overview





2017
CJCJ and MILPA bring together emerging leaders for the first Next Generation Fellowship! The 2017 fellows take part in cultural practices and expand their knowledge of public policy with mock legislative visits.
2018 - 2019
NGF expands our programming! We host three 2-day sessions in Sacramento, Santa Cruz, and Los Angeles Fifteen system-impacted fellows connect, learn, and reach new heights.
2020
The NGF team was proud to bring together thirteen justice reform leaders for the 2019-2020 fellowship. We facilitated three 2-day sessions in Los Angeles, Oakland, and - in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic - a virtual platform.
2021
During a year of unprecedented challenges, we welcomed fifteen NGF fellows to come together virtually over three 2-day sessions! NGF offered a supportive space for participants to connect and grow.
2022
As the pandemic continued, we were able to bring together once again a group of amazing people virtually to learn about the legislative process and cultural healing approaches.
Connecting communities, fostering effective storytelling, and leveraging lived expertise for
bold change
Take a look at past years of the Next Generation Fellowship to learn about our alumni and their stories.



We've Come
Pretty Far Since
We Started
Alumni from
Communities
Across California
- Alameda
- Butte
- Contra Costa
- Fresno
- Kings
- Los Angeles
- Madera
- Merced
- Monterey
- Orange
- Placer
- Riverside
- San Mateo
- Santa Clara
- Sonoma
- San Francisco
- Santa Barbara
- San Bernardino
- Santa Cruz
- San Diego
- Sacramento
- Stanislaus
- Ventura
- Yolo
Alumni By Year
- 2022
- 2021
- 2019 - 2020
- 2018 - 2019
- 2017

- SheLoa McBride
- Zyaire Smith
- Laura German
- Misty Franklin
- Nicole Bronson
- Tuong (Billy) V. Du
- Ana Ojeda Huerta
- Noely Loeza
- Lupita Carballo
- Robert Daniels
- Maria Recarte
- Valentino Zubia

- Alexander Zubia
- Ana Alicia Zepeda
- Valerie Salazar
- Christopher Washington
- Salvador Junior Delgadillo Gomez
- Marlené Mercado
- Emilio Galvan
- Karla Lobo
- Amy Andrea Martinez
- Citlali Mendoza
- Justin Margolis
- Fidel Chagolla
- Chanthon Bun
- Ruben Espinoza
- Angela Parks

Marina Lopez
Marina has experience working as a teaching artist in juvenile halls, re-entry spaces, continuation schools, and community centers. She is a graduate student of the American Indian Studies program at UCLA focusing on Indigenous anti-carceral feminism, youth liberation and digital storytelling.
As an NGF fellow, Marina is grateful to build community with other formerly incarcerated and system-impacted folks leading the way towards a decolonial and liberated future.

Melvin "Red" Ramirez

Jordanna Wong-Omshehe

Gilbert Anthony Murillo

Airam Coronado

Nancy Juarez

Josue Pineda

Mary Carmen Ruiz De La O

Jamie Wilson

Arturo "Velaz" Muñoz

Claudia Jasmine Gonzalez

Jasmin Aleman

Borey “Peejay” Ai

Edgar Ibarra
He is currently a community college student dedicated to justice reform, and plans to transfer to a four-year university in the coming year.
He is working towards gaining a deeper understanding of the legislative process as well as the ways in which research is conducted in order to end mass incarceration.
While at the same time building relationships with like-minded people in order to achieve victories that will reform the justice system.

James Martinez
Throughout his life, James has witnessed many injustices and developed a deep desire to pursue justice on behalf of the disenfranchised. Now, he has taken it upon himself to be a part of the solution.
He is currently working on pursuing higher education with the goal of obtaining a law degree. In the future, James would like to use his degree to bring change to a broken justice system.

Katrina Ruiz
She recognizes that individuals who, despite their best efforts in challenging circumstances, must battle a number of challenges including discrimination and poverty during reentry.
In the future, she hopes to use her education, experiences, and knowledge from NGF to push for justice reform locally and nationally. Her long-term goal is to write and endorse legislation to ensure justice-involved people are not persecuted.

LaVell Baylor
In addition to NGF, LaVell is a 2018 UCLA Beyond the Bars Fellow and a member of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, InsideOut Writers, California Coalition for Women Prisoners, and CUT#50.
She is currently the Deputy Director of Freedom 4 Youth where she works to partner UCSB students with youth in the juvenile justice system. LaVell’s passion for making the world a better place for children and humanity is the driving force for her hard work and plans to use justice reform to make her goals a reality in the future.

Tré Vasquez
He has made it his life’s work to organize young people to build a better future for communities by empowering them to understand and influence policymaking.
In the future, he hopes to pass the skills he has learned through NGF on to the youth he serves. In all that he does, Tré works to create a sense of community through healing practices.

Louis Gutierrez
His lifetime goal is to see the justice system overhauled and improved. Currently, he works to inspire, educate, and ultimately give hope to others by sharing his personal story.
In the future, Louis would like to share his story with policymakers, corrections leaders, community members, and advocates in the hopes of empowering change.
He firmly believes that the future of true criminal justice reform rests in the hands of people who have experienced it firsthand.

Jenifer Leonesio
She believes that incarceration tears down the physical and mental well-being of people directly impacted and disrupts vital human connections within their families and communities.
In addition, Jenifer believes the systemic racism that is built into the very core of the justice system needs to be confronted and dismantled. Jenifer is working on gaining an even deeper sense of others’ experiences in order to advocate for justice-involved people in a holistic and practical way.

Lucero Herrera
She currently serves as a community leader in San Francisco’s Reentry Council. In addition, she is a research organizer at the Young Women’s Freedom Center and is working on a research project for women and young girls who have been impacted by foster care and the justice system.
In the future, she plans to continue building strong voices to fight against our oppressive criminal justice system.

Cualnezca Tonantzin Miranda (Tona)
She is determined to address the systems that have failed indigenous communities and those in need since the creation of them. Today, she continues the work that her elders within her community have started with a focus on dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline. Tona works to form culturally-based pathways to postsecondary education and encourages youth and communities to be more vocal for policies that will directly affect them.
In the future, she hopes to foster partnerships between her community and justice reform organizations to continue creating a bridge for the next generation of reformers.

Rena Alspaw
She has been a guest speaker at various events, with the objective of giving hope to individuals waiting for parole as well as those paroled after decades of incarceration. She has a deep understanding of the uphill battle that rehabilitation is and this inspired her to obtain her certification as a drug counselor and dedicate her career to the service field.
In the future, as a social worker, Rena plans to support community members and create policy change through advocacy.

Juana Ochoa
She works to move communities toward adopting and developing sustainable urban agriculture and community gardens as a way to revitalize local neighborhoods. She supports community members returning home by providing platforms where they can develop critical consciousness and break away from personal and structurally oppressive cycles.
In the future, she plans to bridge health, education, and employment by developing opportunities in the green sector for people in reentry.

Watani Stiner
Watani’s own powerful experiences with activism and incarceration uniquely position him to support and understand the youth that he serves.
In the future, he hopes to aid marginalized and criminalized youth in further understanding the complex issues that affect them by hosting healing spaces where they can begin to.

Terah Lawyer
She is a spokesperson for the Drop LWOP campaign where she advocates for prisoners and shares her personal testimony to influence policies. In the future, Terah hopes to own a business that will assist formerly incarcerated individuals with the startup of their own business.
Her passion lies in encouraging others to reach their fullest potential and teaching them how to use the pitfalls of their past toward their future success.

K.I. Ifopo

Somdeng Danny Thongsy
In the past, he has participated in advocacy and criminal justice reform efforts with Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus as a fellow. Additionally, he has been actively involved in reentry work as a member of the Asian Prisoners Support Committee.
In the future, Danny plans to continue to collaborate with partners who are doing similar work and continue to share his experience with others to raise awareness of issues that he and members of his community face.

- Andrew Winn
- Aurora C Ruvalcaba
- Brayan Pelayo
- Cristian Franco
- Daniel Mendoza
- Elias Gonzales
- Gabe J Rosales
- Lita Tangitau
- Morghan Vélez Young-Alfaro
- Ramon Leija
- Tina Curiel-Allen



Yearly Overview



2017
CJCJ and MILPA bring together emerging leaders for the first Next Generation Fellowship! The 2017 fellows take part in cultural practices and expand their knowledge of public policy with mock legislative visits.
2018 - 2019
NGF expands our programming! We host three 2-day sessions in Sacramento, Santa Cruz, and Los Angeles Fifteen system-impacted fellows connect, learn, and reach new heights.
2020
CJCJ and MILPA Collective were proud to bring together thirteen justice reform leaders for the 2019-2020 fellowship. We facilitated three 2-day sessions in Los Angeles, Oakland, and - in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic - a virtual platform.
2021
During a year of unprecedented challenges, we welcomed fifteen NGF fellows to come together virtually over three 2-day sessions! NGF offered a supportive space for participants to connect and grow.
2022
As the pandemic continued, we were able to bring together once again a group of amazing people virtually to learn about the legislative process and cultural healing approaches.