Jeannine (she/her) has been an active youth worker in the Southside community for the last 5 years. She was Washington born but Minnesota raised. In her professional life she is passionate about youth development, fostering bonds of sisterhood, and cultivating caring and compassionate community spaces. With roots both in Minneapolis and St Paul, Jeannine has brought her expertise, contagious energy, and her special touch to the Pathways Program with the support of the YLL Team. Jeannine is a proud auntie, of both her 8-year-old niece, Capri, and her fur-nieces and fur-nephews. In her free time, she loves a good meal, traveling, kicking it with her loved ones, fashion, journaling, music, and writing poetry. What brought Jeannine to HOPE and more specifically youth work is her lived experience as a transracial adoptee growing up in majority-white institutions. Jeannine strives in her work and engagement of young people to be the trusted adult she wishes she had had during her own journey into young adulthood. HOPE’s commitment, intentionality, and reputation assured her that this was a place for her career and personal passions to further develop and flourish. Now more than ever she believes it is the time to raise our collective voice against narratives/institutions that harm our wider community, youth, and futures.