And She Speaks: LEAD Charter School graduate details experience with disconnection and youth advocacy work

In the middle of the Senate Education Committee floor at the New Jersey Statehouse sits a small group of young people preparing to share their stories in support of the Disconnection Prevention Bill. Among them, LEAD Charter School Class of 2023 graduate, Yaneliz Cabrera, adjusts her new suit jacket and prepares to discuss her experience with disconnection. It’s her turn to speak to the row of lawmakers, all at least 20 years her senior. 

It’s a moment that Yaneliz remembers fondly to this day. The pivotal moment also came as no surprise to Yaneliz’s mother, who always said that she should become a lawyer, as she “loves to argue” and get her point across. These “achiever" qualities have been present in Yaneliz since she was a child. She was consistently on the honor roll and maintained A’s and B’s. 

However, things started to shift after she entered her first high school. At that school, Yaneliz maintained her high grade point average but struggled to acclimate to the school environment. Despite her academic success, Yaneliz constantly found herself being dragged out of the classroom and into turmoil, both figuratively and literally.  

“I was getting into a lot of physical altercations and I was never really in class because of it,” she said. “It got to the point where they were going to kick me out. So right before they kicked me out, my mom transferred me to another school”

After transferring, Yaneliz’s grades started to drop. She credits this to the difference in teaching styles and culture compared to her former school. Not only did she struggle to understand her work, but she also struggled to fit in with her peers. 

It left her with no motivation to prioritize education and, during her junior year, Yaneliz opted for a reduced schedule offered by her school, leaving at 10 a.m. and working in the afternoon. 

“I used to leave and go home to sleep and do nothing. And then, I used to go to work at 2:00. So I used to clock in early, but they would never say anything because they needed all the help they could get. But when I was in school, I wouldn't be able to get to work until 5:00. So if I left early, then I could make more hours at work, rather than stay in school the whole day.” 

Once COVID struck, Yaneliz’s frustrations reached a fevered pitch. She started to truly give up on school and the concept of learning entirely. 

“When the pandemic came, I cared less about learning,” Yaneliz said. “Because everything was on the computer, I used to Google everything and because the teachers would record the Zoom meeting and post it, I could always go back and look for answers. I used to sleep throughout every class - I never actually learned.” 

After the quarantine restrictions eased, she tried her luck and moved to Florida with her stepmother and father for a new start. She was hoping to make up some of her lost credits so that she wouldn’t have to repeat her junior year. Unfortunately, Yaneliz arrived in Florida in April, too late to register for the spring and summer classes. From April to August of 2022, Yaneliz was disconnected from both school and work. 

Soon after moving back to New Jersey, hope arrived in the form of her friend, who introduced Yaneliz to LEAD Charter School. She entered LEAD still holding on to old habits and negative influences, much to her mother’s chagrin. But while at LEAD, Yaneliz received a wake-up call from both branches of her support network.

“I fell into like the wrong group,” she said. “I used to go chill with them outside of school, go smoke, go do what teenagers do. And my mom used to be on me, ‘You're not focusing on what you should be focusing on.’ But it didn't really click until I failed my first trimester at LEAD. After that, I had conversations with my teachers and Advocate Counselors. They all told me I needed to get it together. I appreciate all of them.” 

Yaneliz pursued the Allied Health track while at LEAD. Upon the recommendation of a staff member, she joined the school’s Youth Policy Council and, eventually, NOYN’s Youth Policy Advisory Board. From there, she received the opportunity to speak at the Statehouse about her story. 

That Statehouse visit was the catalyst for Yaneliz’s interest in pursuing advocacy and postsecondary education and helped fuel her aspirations to have her own nail art business. Now a part-time Sensemaking Fellow with NOYN, Yaneliz works with young people who are facing challenges similar to her. One of her responsibilities is to help organize youth discussions about their experiences with disconnection around the city, which are then analyzed and published in the Newark Youth Voices Portal. Yaneliz also had the opportunity to present the findings from the city-wide conversations at the Aspen Institute’s Opportunity Youth Forum Convention in Colorado. On top of her advocacy work, she also attends Essex County College, where she studies business and works as an independent nail technician.

NOYN Manager of Policy and Advocacy Emilie Stewart, Yaneliz’s supervisor, said, “I’ve gotten a chance to see her grow as an advocate and as a professional since she arrived at LEAD. Yaneliz is truly flourishing in this work. I can’t wait to see where she goes and what she does next.” 

After she adjusts her suit jacket, Yaneliz reflects on where she’s come from and envisions where she’s going—and she speaks.