Catherine DelgadoCo-Founder and Project Manager"We hold the future in our hands. Make the world your own." A seventeen year old girl from San Diego, CA, Catherine Delgado is ready to conquer the world. Catherine remains a strong believer in the power of knowledge, awareness, and belief in others. She remains an advocate for the ideas and safety of her peers. Catherine strives to inspire fellow youth to develop passions, take initiative, and become leaders.
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Disheartened by the immense amount of pain and suffering that her peers experience, Catherine has made it her mission to tackle the educational system and create mental health resources for those who need it. By founding the Marauders for Mental Health group and the Student Wellness Education And Resources (SWEAR) Committee, Catherine has established herself as a pillar for mental health reform in her community.
Marauders for Mental Health is a collection of school administrators, counselors, and students who work together to increase access to mental health resources, promote mental health awareness, restructure the response to mental health needs, and redefine the relationship between faculty and students at Catherine's high school. After seeing the success of her initiative at her high school, Catherine wanted to bring this change to the district level, forming the San Diego Unified School District's SWEAR Committee. Under the supervision of the Integrated Youth Services division, SWEAR aims to bridge the gap between schools in an effort to create a more standardized system of addressing mental health issues districtwide. |
"If not you, then who? If not now, then when?"
In addition to being an avid mental health advocate, Catherine is also a major proponent for global awareness and action. She believes that with endless support and the right resources, anyone has the power to bring real change to the world.
This immense passion to empower the youth stems from almost seven years of involvement with Model UN. Catherine's first MUN conference shifted her perspective of the world and catapulted her into a long journey of learning and growth. Knowing the role MUN played in her life, Catherine became the Secretary-General for the San Diego Regional Junior Model United Nations (SDRJMUN) conference in hopes of sharing the conference's message with others and fostering a new generation of change-makers. Catherine's upbringing and involvement with her community has continuously pushed her to inspire fellow youth and encourage them to take control of their world. With the creation of FIRST, Catherine hopes to spark a movement for change by becoming a guiding and informational hand in the face of uncertainty and change. |