Program Director at Al Éxito and Mid-Iowa Health Foundation HealthConnect Fellow
(April 2022-September 2023)
Establishing a path for mental health awareness and workforce development through youth access, support, education, and advocacy
Guerra Ceron started her fellowship with a desire to launch a youth mental health leadership academy pilot that would help equip Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, People of Color (QTBIPOC) youth with leadership skills to become mental health ambassadors in their communities. Instead of offering a program for youth, the academy was meant to help young people become empowered and equipped with the skills and tools they need to be system-change agents in their communities. She spent time developing the idea, researching what already existed, and how to create a peer-to-peer certification through her position at Please Pass the Love.
About six months into the fellowship, the leadership of Please Pass the Love approached Guerra Ceron about becoming the Interim Executive Director after the current Executive Director announced she was leaving. Guerra Ceron’s attention shifted to planning for the transition in roles and supporting the organization as the board ultimately determined to close the organization.
In the process, Guerra Ceron identified another system-change opportunity: creating a pathway for youth, particularly QTBIPOC youth, to learn about mental health careers and mental health literacy in high school. The goal was to start interest in the field early as a way of addressing a shortage of mental health professionals, especially providers of color and who are LGBTQ+.
In April 2023, Guerra Ceron returned to the organization where she previously worked, Al Éxito, as Program Director. In addition to overseeing the organization’s programs that support Latinx youth from middle school through college, she joined the Central Iowa Latinx Project coalition as co-chair of the Education Subcommittee. Her efforts now focus on creating equitable changes for Latinx individuals in education across Iowa, as she’s seen through data and conversations that Latinx students’ educational needs are not being met. The training and support she received on coalition building, communications, and campaign planning through the fellowship are now helping her advocate for the mental well-being of students in schools. She has started to provide training and workshops for students on mental health and well-being through the lens of the Latinx experience.
The work Guerra Ceron set out to accomplish in advancing youth access, support, education, and advocacy continues in her new role through different strategies. She is proud of the growth in her network as she’s met and collaborated with other fellows, as well as the growth in her leadership capacity as she received support and mentorship through the process of developing a plan of action for Please Pass the Love's board to use as board members wound down the organization.
“I’m proudest that I reached out for help to my fellowship mentors and Mid-Iowa Health leadership during the most challenging time in my career,” she said. “Although this success is not directly related to my campaign, I felt it was important because it showed my growth and impact as a nonprofit professional and advocate.”
