THE Tayo Fellowship Program is excited to announce the selection of twenty-four Filipino American young leaders into its Summer 2023 cohort. Through the fellowship, Tayo Fellows will have the unique experience of contributing to the growing work of Tayo’s online misinformation and public health projects and spearhead the development of the Tayo Courageous Conversations Pilot Program.
“In order to find something that’s never been found, you need to be lost first,” said TJ Simba-Medel, FYLPRO Tayo Fellowship Director, “In that spirit, I am excited to go into the unknown with this historical cohort as we embark on a journey of reimagining what it means to be courageous in our conversations with one another.”
The 2023 Tayo Fellows are:
- Alexa Lauve Simon (she/they) – Fremont, CA
- Alexandra Reyes (she/her) – Philadelphia, PA
- Alyssa Caldito (she/her) – Ann Arbor, MI
- Angela Labador (siya/she) – Tempe, AZ
- Angela Rose David (she/her) – Los Angeles, CA
- Angelica Ahmann (she/her) – Madison, WI
- Ania Ty (she/her) – Washington, DC
- Caitlin Jayne Agnes (she/her) – Philadelphia, PA
- Danielle Mangabat (she/her) – Atlanta, GA
- Dasha Pates (she/her) – Aurora, IL
- Erika Acosta (she/her) – Philadelphia, PA
- Faye Suficiencia (she/her) – San Antonio, TX
- Janeen Simon (she/her) – Arroyo Grande, CA
- Janeva Nicole Dimen (she/her) – Wellesley, MA
- Jayson Cayanan (he/him) – Chicago, IL
- Jazmine Alcon (she/her) – Jersey City, NJ
- Jelynn Tatad (she/her) – Providence, RI
- Katrina Itona (she/her) – New Milford, NJ
- Katrina Manrique (she/her) – Los Angeles, CA
- Keala Marie Marasigan (she/her) – Corvallis, OR
- Kim Navarro (she/her) – Washington, DC
- Lily Varilla (she/her) – Madison, WI
- Malakai Espinosa (he/him) – Los Angeles, CA
- Nina Mondero (she/her) – Chicago, IL.
This year’s cohort marks the Tayo Fellowship Program’s fourth cohort and its largest cohort to date, nearly tripling in size to recognize the diverse talent, perspectives, and motivations of Filipino American young leaders within this year’s application pool.
This cohort consists of fellows who are in high school, college, and working professionals. This year’s cohort includes new regions represented with fellows from Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, and Washington.
This program will allow our fellows to participate in various projects, research, events, and professional development opportunities. Some projects include web content writing, event planning, organizational development, surveys and research, audio and video production, and misinformation and disinformation tracking. These projects will directly relate to focus areas the Tayo fellows are interested in, including civic engagement and policy, solidarity across communities, mental health, and public health and health disparities.
To support this year’s cohort, the Tayo Fellowship Program Team will consist of TJ Simba-Medel as Fellowship Director, Krystle Canare as Mental Health Advisor, and the addition of former Tayo Fellows, Sarah Mae Dizon and Joed Garbo, who will serve as Fellowship Program Managers to support fellows in their day-to-day operations and Courageous Conversations curriculum development.
“As a former Tayo fellow, I’m excited to rejoin the fellowship and support this summer’s programming. I’m thrilled to welcome the largest cohort of Tayo fellows, each bringing unique backgrounds and experiences that will contribute to our reflective discussions and purposeful projects. I can’t wait to witness the incredible synergy among this inspiring cohort of Fil-Am leaders from all corners of the country,” said Joed Garbo.
“I’m excited to see how this year’s group of bright, talented leaders will shape Tayo’s vital work,” said Sarah Mae Dizon, FYLPRO Tayo Fellowship Manager and former fellow from the 2020 cohort. “The diversity in this year’s cohort will certainly help us address the unique, nuanced needs of Filipina/o communities across the country and the diaspora.”
All of these endeavors expand Tayo’s ability to achieve its mission and vision of becoming an Innovative data hub that empowers Filipina/o communities by collecting data, fostering partnerships, publishing culturally relevant insights, and developing leaders to create an equitable and sustainable future.
Tayo, a project of the Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO), is an innovative data hub that empowers Filipinx/a/o communities by collecting data, fostering partnerships, publishing culturally relevant insights, and developing leaders to create an equitable and sustainable future. For more information, visit tayohelp.com.
The Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO) is a network of high performing, next-generation leaders who advance the Philippines and the Filipino people through their advocacy and expertise in various industries. It continually expands the pipeline of Filipino young leaders in the diaspora by connecting them to the motherland and fostering collaborative multinational relationships that create innovations and support the socio-economic progress of the global Filipino community. For more information, visit fylpro.org.
(FYLPRO Release) n
