We had the good fortune of connecting with Kristin McGuire and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristin, what’s your definition for success?
Professional success for me is the ability to earn a living doing something you enjoy, something that excites you, something that motivates you. To this day, after working here for 7 years, I am still inspired and excited by the mission of Young Invincibles: . to amplify the voices of young adults in the political process and expand economic opportunity for our generation (millennials and Gen Z aged 18-34).

What I love most about this organization is that nothing is done for young adults without adults. All of our policy wins are advocated for young people by young people. We take pride in the work we do and are proud of the impact we have made since 2009. We were pivotal in the fight to expand dependent health care coverage to age 26 under the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare). We are also proud of our most recent win of student debt cancellation, which is currently being heard in the US Supreme Court.

In California, we were instrumental in the passage of several state laws that made access to CalFresh (EBT) easier for college students. This was especially important to me, as a first gen, pell eligible college student. I wanted to make sure I could make life a little easier for students like me.

This leads to me personal success. Personal success for me is being able to enjoy my life with my family. It includes working a job that has a purpose. It’s being able to leave a mark in the world, no matter how small, that leaves it a little better.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
First and foremost, I’m a community organizer. Since high school, I have empowered young people to create the change we wanted to see.

How did I get to where I am today? I trusted myself. I’ve been told several times throughout my life the organizing is a thankless fruitless job. In college I worked as a bank teller and I can vividly recall the manager suggesting I follow her steps and become a branch manager because it was safe and predictable. It has not been easy but it has been rewarding and each choice I made led to the next.

When I left the bank I applied a job at VIP Mentors which was the first time I got paid for advocacy. I worked to match young adults who were recently paroled from prison with mentors while advocating for better access to jobs and services for them. After that I was an organizer for LA County Tobacco Control & Prevention Program where I was able to work with cities to implement smoke free policies. After leaving the county, I starting a boutique campaign consulting firm. I was blessed to create campaign strategy for Aja Brown in her 1st run for mayor (against two former mayors) and Rex Richardson for Long Beach City Council. I won both of them. This gave me the confidence to run for office in my own community, and in November 2020, I became the first Black person to ever be elected to Charter Oak Unified School District Board of Education. These experiences have all prepared me for my role as the leader of the nation’s largest young adult policy advocacy organization.

I am most proud of shaping policies that will protect the financial and physical health of young Californians as they enter adulthood, such as the California Student Borrowers’ Bill of Rights 2019 (AB 376), the Student Civic and Voter Empowerment Act of 2019, and the College Student Hunger Relief Act 2016 (AB 1747), and Smoke free parks and multiunit housing in Compton, Ca (passed in 2011). Compton’s smoke free ordinance lead to to Compton College revamping its tobacco policy in 2014. .

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh this is fun! Well I think all visitors want to see Hollywood. So I would spend a day taking folks to the walk of fame and wax museum, ensuring we stop at Pinks for a Turkey dog with relish.

Because I love rap music, we would take a day in Long Beach and Compton to see where the greats, like DJ Quik & Snoop, and the future, like Kendrick Lamar and Vince Staples, come from. I’d also make a detour and pay respect to Nipsey. Taco Pete’s moved so I guess we would go to Sal’s Gumbo Shack in Long Beach for lunch.

We would then spend a day in the San Gabriel Valley also know as “the other valley” lol. I’m not sure if anyone else calls it that, but I do! We would hit up a few spots I enjoy, like Casa Moreno, The Lincoln House and GS Cafe in Covina. I’d make my way to Pasadena to visit The Speakeasy and The Pasadena Robinson Memorial.

For the rest of the visit, we would chill at the beach and of course hit up Universal Studios.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My shout out will always go to my momma! I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for those who blazed the trail before me. Unsung heroes like my mom, who integrated her school in Alabama in 1969 at the age of 7, truly inspire me to continue to work for generations who will come after me.

In addition to my mom, my work is inspired by my daughter Kaitlyn. I work every day to make the world a better place for her. My God- daughter Ashley also motivated me to work hard to ensure young people have access to everything they need to get to and through college.
I also can’t forget to shout out my husband Todd, he is truly my backbone and support every big idea I have. I love you!

Website: www.younginvincibles.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/im_just_krissy/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinmcguire3/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Im_Just_Krissy

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@YIWantChange

Other: tik tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@younginvincibles

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