YA Leaders Spotlight #1

​Vanessa Barajas
​Board of Directors

​Hi! My name is Vanessa and I am a member of the board. As a high school teen, I absolutely found a great sense of community in UCYM and have continued to try to stay as connected as possible. Now that I am approaching the end of my senior year at Loyola University Chicago and considering graduate schools for counseling or clinical psychology, I am beginning to understand the importance of community through a social justice lens. I believe UCYM’s mission is to build a safe and empowering place for those who are often ignored by society. I am looking forward to being part of that change. 

Madison McGuire
​Board of Directors

My name is Madison McGuire and I am a current junior at Villanova University in Philadelphia, PA. I am majoring in Sociology and Ethics in hope of pursuing a career in law. I just returned from a semester in Rome where I was able to study the birth of Catholicism and spend some time with Pope Francis! I have been a part of UCYM since I was a freshman in high school and am constantly inspired by the leadership of the local youth in the voice of the Church. I am really looking forward to continuing the good of this organization and am so excited to see what comes next!