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Yesica Chavez is a first-generation student at the University of Colorado Denver getting her B.S. in Psychology and B.A. in Ethnic Studies. She was born and raised in the Montbello community of Denver. As a high school student, she joined Environmental Learning for Kids (ELK) Leadership Corps program, where she received the help she needed to get her to her next step in life, which was higher education. Eventually, she joined ELK's Urban Ranger summer employment program. As an Urban Ranger, she taught hundreds of kids to fish, helped supervise camping trips, and began advocating for the importance of getting youth outside. After three years, she became the College Lead for the team. Her leadership since then has grown tremendously, as has her passion to help her community. Currently, Yesica is ELK's Student Coordinator where she helps lead the program that helped her, Leadership Corps. She is also the Youth Ambassador for the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Office, a volunteer for Latino Outdoors, and a Natural Leader with the Natural Leaders Network. She also works as a research intern at Denver Health where she helps with the diabetes prevention program.