Violeta Zamora

Violeta Zamora is a committed advocate for foster youth, higher education, social justice and empowering the next generation of youth through civic engagement. Prior to her selection as a National Urban Fellow, Violeta was a Case Manager for the Girls in Gangs program at the Youth Policy Institute in Los Angeles. As a Case Manager she led a program to assist young girls on juvenile probation thru re-entry supportive services and Foster youth thru Transitional AgedYouth programs from ages 15-22. Violeta learned thru this experience to take a lead thru her own initiative to research, collaborate, and self educate on policies and legal options to assist numerous challenges undocumented youth face through their transition out of the system.

Violeta volunteered as a mentor for the Hollywood Leadership Academy and Bernstein High School Cohort through the Services Work Program. She continues to mentor former Foster youth, who have transitioned out of the system as a volunteer for the Foster Nation organization. She was a keynote speaker at the Pomona Unified School’s third annual Women’s Empowerment Conference for female students to gain confidence and achieve success.

Violeta is a graduate of California State University of Los Angeles where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a focus in Public Administration in 2021. During her time as a student, she interned at CALPIRG to raise awareness and mobilize college students throughout Southern California universities to get out and vote for the Presidential Election in 2020. She was inducted into the Pi Sigma Alpha National Political Science Honorary Society.

Violeta is grateful to participate in developing leadership principles, implementation strategies and collaboration building in policy management as a National Urban Fellow. She is committed to work with an organization, that embodies inclusivity, challenges systemic barriers and advocates for educational mobility for youth and adults. As a former Foster youth “ I want to make a difference for those in my community who look like me, and don’t see themselves reflected in the leadership of our diverse communities.”