Juliana Wells
Director of Programs
juliana@youthmentoring.org

If 20 years ago you had told me that I was going to find my bliss in South Central Los Angeles, I probably would have looked at you a little funny and then laughed. But indeed that is exactly what happened, when I fell in love with the young people from that community.

After having a rather awful experience in the film industry, I felt disillusioned and lost, when my dear friend and mentor Debrah Constance decided to open a youth center in the heart of South Central and asked me if I wanted to volunteer. Reluctantly I agreed, and the next thing I knew I was doing yoga with 300 kids in the gym of Jefferson High School, and trying to fundraise by faxing foundations with the word “Help.” And the journey began from there, working in every possible capacity – I just knew I wanted to be with these kids.

In 1998, I became Director of Mentoring and began working with Tony LoRe to help kids from our center build relationships with mentors from HBO. This was only the beginning of a 10+ year partnership. In 2007 I formally joined the staff of Youth Mentoring Connection. As Program Director, I have the opportunity to support YMC’s staff members in their work with all of our mentoring programs. I witness lives change every day through the power of mentoring, and I get to work with the best people in the world.

I am also a regular contributor on YMC's blog! Check out Wednesday's Word on the Street on our blog Change2Lives!