Venecia Montes Focuses on Making a Difference as Youth Development Assistant

Venecia Montes is a youth development assistant in the Friday Night Live Program in SDCOE's Student Wellness and School Culture department where she implements school-based mentoring programs, plans and leads youth leadership building events and activities, and works with community partners in the support of activities and events for youth. Montes describes her personal experience with Friday Night Live and how she came to work at SDCOE. 

In 2015, when my teacher at Monarch School told me we would be attending a Friday Night Live (FLN) conference at CSU San Marcos, my first reaction was to be confused and anxious. We were told we would be spending the night in one of the dorms on campus, and for a very shy, 15-year-old me, that was scary. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into, but I tried to keep an open mind. Arriving there, I was nervous. Imagine, to my surprise, that when the conference started, the youth leaders were singing funny songs and playing silly games. Not what I was expecting, at all.

I learned a lot from that conference. We attended workshops, had group discussions on many topics, and got to interact with students from other parts of the county. After that first interaction with FNL, I knew that I wanted to be like the youth leaders I had seen help run the conference.

That was part of the reason I joined FNL as a student. I also knew that from the experience of people around me, drugs and alcohol can really affect your life, and I wanted to change that, and hopefully help people along the way. FNL partnered with our Associated Student Body club at Monarch, and we became an FNL chapter. We were able to participate in all of the activities that FNL hosted, like attending the annual camps and conferences, going on trips to Knott’s Berry Farm and Six Flags Magic Mountain, and working on campaigns and projects that would help better us and the people in our communities. I knew that I wanted to make a difference and help provide a space where other like-minded students could come and create change.

One of the most important things that I took away from FNL was being able to break out of my shell and comfort zone. I was able to have a safe place away from home that provided me opportunities and skills to become a better person. FNL is a big part of the reason why I became who I am today. Being able to be a youth leader during camps and conferences helped develop my leadership skills and my public speaking. I was able to find my voice by being a part of FNL.

When I moved away from San Diego for college, I never thought I would find myself back here, much less working for FNL. It had been a couple of years since I had heard from someone in FNL, so in 2020 when I heard from Linda Lee Garibay, who is now with Homeless Education Services, I was shocked. Linda was working with FNL at the time and let me know there was a job opening. I applied for the teacher assistant/intern position and the next thing I knew, I was being interviewed and was hired a week later. That phone call changed my life.

I have now been with the program for almost three years. One of my career highlights was being able to be promoted to a permanent position with FNL in October. It’s been great working for FNL. I've been able to use the experience of participating in the program and having that first-hand knowledge to help me in working and connecting with our students.

I am proof that FNL can change young people's lives, and being a caring adult is all it takes.