Jasmine Montoya, UNP’s adored Youth Center Coordinator, recently left her position to continue her dreams of working in health care. However, UNP, the westside, and especially the youth she has worked with for so many years will always be a part of her. Stating, “I am the Youth Center Coordinator darn it! Remember me!”
Jasmine has deep roots in both the west side and within the UNP network. She grew up in Glendale and has been extremely engaged in the community, following her mom, Elizabeth Montoya’s example, since she was young. Jasmine has always loved hanging out and working with youth, before starting at UNP she taught at Mountain View Elementary when she was only 12 years old, as well as becoming a group leader and leader in training at the Glendale-Mountain View Community Learning Center (CLC). While at the CLC she made connections with Keri Taddie, Glendale CLC Coordinator, and Jarred Martinez, UNP Ed Pathways Partnership Manager. Through this growing network she learned about an opportunity within UNP for the role of Youth Center Assistant.
She’s now been with the Youth Center for 6 years creating initiatives to develop a livelier and more engaged environment. Jasmine has stated that she is deeply inspired by her mom, exclaiming that she feels she will never fit her shoes because her mom has done so much for the community and for others in general. Jasmine is driven by both a desire to be more like her mom and to acknowledge the privilege she has. She wants to do all she can to make a difference especially in the lives of youth who haven’t been given the same opportunities and circumstances she has.
These experiences opened her eyes to the importance of supporting and spending time with youth. The youth she’s met throughout the years have touched her heart and changed her for the better, explaining, “I want to do everything I can to give back to these kids for blessing me with the light they radiate.” Jasmine became a mother to her own son in 2020 and loves spending time with him and her partner. They love being active, especially going to the gym together. She also thoroughly enjoys being outdoors in the sunshine.
Some of her favorite memories of UNP are the long hours spent with the youth, going on home visits and getting to connect with the kids in their own element. She also loved staff meetings with all her UNP colleges, solidifying the community and friendships she has built here. Looking back, she is especially grateful for her friendship with Dr. Teresa Molina as she is the one who pushed Jasmine to speak up and engage in the staff community.
Jasmine believes deeply in the importance of including the community in decisions that affect them. She admires the holistic care displayed through UNP and the fusion of people from so many different backgrounds that all come together to create this community. This holistic care is especially noticeable in the Youth Center as they come together to learn, play, and grow. The Youth Center is such an important place to the community where parents know they’re children will be safe and cared for and where the children feel comfortable to be themselves.
A regular day in the youth center consists of scheduled meals, homework support and activities with partners. The team, Jasmine, Freda, and Vianka prepare the room for the youth’s arrival with a snack or warm meal from partners like the Utah Food Bank, Kids Café, and the Food Justice Coalition. After meal time the team will help them work on their homework. This whole first hour is a controlled kind of chaos, you can hear the energy from upstairs in the Welcome Center. After cleaning up, half the group will meet with a partner that comes in while the other half will either do an activity or go outside when it’s warm enough. When the partner activity is done the groups will switch so everyone gets to learn from the partner and have activity time. Then the groups will all come back together to end the day with some announcements and an occasional treat.
Jasmine is a certified nursing aid and through Proxima, a UNP partner that is passionate about empowering individuals to achieve their dreams in healthcare careers, and she is now starting her journey in nursing school. As this new phase of her life begins, she is excited about how much she’ll grow as a person with new situations and new challenges. She hopes to continue to develop her leadership capacity and grow as a nurse, mother, friend, and community member.
Jasmine says, “something to remember is that everybody has a story. Our kids, if you look into their eyes you’re going to know that they have a story to tell.” She wants everyone in the community to know that she loves you all and wishes nothing but the best.