Hi!! My name is Danny (pronouns He/Him), I’m 17 years old, and I am part of the Youth Council at The Epicenter of Monterey. I was born and raised in Mexico at the age of 13. I came to the United States to reunite with my mom and my siblings. Things took a turn in the wrong direction at the age of 14, when I entered the Foster Care system. Being in the system has helped me to grow and be more mature; in addition, it also helped me learn how to advocate for myself. I heard about the Epicenter when I moved to Salinas in December of 2018. My Foster parents brought me to an event. A few months later, my Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) brought me back to job hunt. The Epicenter has allowed me to work as a Youth Council Member. I am excited to work with them because they are an awesome group of people that want to help youth. They are helping me grow as a person. I look forward to working and helping youth in and out of foster care by guiding them in the right direction so they can have the greatest opportunity to be successful. Some of my passions include art and music; they have become a coping skill of mine. I’m also passionate about drawing and expressing myself through art, along with playing instruments such as the guitar and the piano. I’m looking forward to developing skills such as communication, confidence, and making good decisions. “Don’t be a legend on the streets and a failure in life.”