What does it really take to help young people not just survive but thrive?
Guiding Youth Through Mentorship
In this episode of the ANEW Insight Podcast, I sat down again with Dr. JC Montenegro executive director, life coach, nonprofit leader, and someone who has spent over 20 years walking alongside disadvantaged youth. Our conversation dove deep into mentorship, mental health, and the power of creating environments where kids feel seen, valued, and empowered to lead.
From the moment we began, it was clear: Dr. JC doesn’t view mentorship as simply telling young people what to do. In his eyes, it’s about listening first, then asking the kinds of questions that help them discover their own answers. As he put it, “If I tell them what to do, they’ll always need me. But if I help them think for themselves, they can carry that skill for life.”
The Three Layers of Mentorship
One of the most insightful parts of our conversation was Dr. JC’s breakdown of accompaniment, which he sees in three forms:
- Personal (One-on-One) – Building a trusted, individual relationship.
- Group – Shared experiences, like support groups, that teach collective growth.
- Environmental – Perhaps the most powerful of all—creating a welcoming, safe community that surrounds young people with positive influences.
He shared stories of kids he’s mentored—like the young man who went from feeling disconnected at a Catholic school to becoming JC’s right hand in ministry, or the girl who played soccer at his side, went on to serve in Tijuana, and now sits on his nonprofit’s board. For JC, these successes aren’t about one savior figure—they’re about an ecosystem of support that empowers kids to flourish.
When Mentorship Meets Mental Health
In recent years, JC has noticed a rise in panic attacks among youth—something he’s experienced personally. In many communities, particularly in Latino culture, anxiety often goes unacknowledged. His approach? Education, grounding techniques, and simply being present in those moments of fear and anxiety.
As I shared during our talk, research consistently shows that in therapy, the single most important factor in healing isn’t the method—it’s the relationship. Whether you’re a mentor, teacher, or counselor, your presence, care, and ability to listen can be profoundly therapeutic.
Seeing the Need Up Close
Our conversation took a sobering turn when JC described the hidden struggles facing many kids in Los Angeles. One teen he worked with was sleeping on the floor because his family couldn’t afford a mattress. Another time, his organization brought Legos to play with children living in Skid Row shelters—kids who rarely get to just be kids.
JC is clear: his role isn’t solving every systemic problem. It’s bridging—connecting youth in need to resources while also helping other young people understand the realities around them. He uses these moments to spark reflection:
“What’s the difference between them and us? How do people end up here? What choices can you make now to create your future?”
Bringing Youth to the Table
If JC could influence policy, his first move would be to make sure young people have a literal seat at decision-making tables. He believes in intergenerational dialogue—not just between peers and adults who agree, but with those who think differently. “If everyone at the table thinks like me, we’ve lost the opportunity to grow.”
His second priority? Education reform making higher education more affordable and shifting learning away from rote memorization toward critical thinking and real-world skills.
Looking Ahead
The Salesian Family Center’s mission is growing. JC dreams of opening more youth centers in underserved areas, continuing to speak at conferences worldwide (including an upcoming meeting in Rome on volunteerism), and encouraging young people to step into leadership roles they might otherwise shy away from.
His message is simple but powerful: Expose yourself to new realities. Volunteer. Serve. Connect. That’s how you grow, and that’s how you help others grow too.
Spending time with Dr. JC Montenegro left me inspired—and reminded me that meaningful change doesn’t always come from grand gestures. It’s built in the quiet moments: holding space for someone in panic, asking a question that sparks self-discovery, creating an environment where young people feel they belong.
Because when kids know they’re valued, they don’t just survive—they thrive.
🎧 Listen to the full conversation on the ANEW Insight Podcast
📺 Watch on YouTube: @my.anew.insight
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View here full podcast Transcript here:
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Welcome to the ANEW Insight podcast
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empowering and inspiring your journey
to optimal health.
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Hosted by Doctor
Supatra Tovar, clinical psychologist,
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registered dietitian, fitness expert
and author of Deprogram Diet Culture:
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Rethink Your Relationship with Food,
Heal Your Mind, and Live a Diet Free Life.
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I follow my guests’ journey
to optimal health,
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providing you with the keys
to unlock your own wellness path.
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Tune in and evolve with us.
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Welcome back to the ANEW Insight podcast.
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We are back for the second half
of our interview with executive director,
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life coach and nonprofit leader
Doctor Jc Montenegro.
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Jc gave us some invaluable insight into
his inspiration to help today’s youth.
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And I can’t wait to pick his brain
some more.
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Doctor Jc, welcome back.
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Thank you.
Thank you so much for having me.
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Thank you.
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So what role do you think mentorship plays
in the development
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of these young people,
and how can it be more effectively
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integrated into their lives?
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Mentorship I think
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when you when you study to become a coach,
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the first thing,
the first skill that actually you learn is listening.
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And the second skill that you learn
is to ask questions.
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I think, so many times we have this idea
of mentors, people who tell me what to do.
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I’m going to mentor you, I will tell
you what to do.
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But in reality as a, as a, as a coach
as someone who accompany young people
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the trick is in asking the right questions
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to allow them to think and help
them to process what is happening to them.
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Yes. I think that makes a huge difference
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because it’s not any longer you develop
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a relationship where they need you,
but actually you develop their skills
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where they can start asking
those questions to themselves and continue
working in their lives.
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And I think that’s what is the best
way to be mentored per se.
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Absolutely.
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Listening and asking questions.
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It’s the same thing in therapy.
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And I think just being mindful
of the questions and how they guide,
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you know, the child to their best answer.
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It might not be your best answer,
but it’s their best answer.
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And so can you give me an example
of someone that you’ve mentored?
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Who wouldn’t mind you talking about them?
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Someone that really,
you know, impressed you
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or came from very difficult circumstances
and then went on to thrive.
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I have many young
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people that I have worked with, and,
I’ve been doing this for over 20 years.
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So I’ve been blessed to, to to accompany
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some of them in many ways
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to my mind came three people.
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One is this young person who came
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mom was Buddhist.
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That was a Christian.
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He comes to a Catholic school.
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He was an interesting
because he he never kind of like
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connect or why not,
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through the company man
and walking with them and everything,
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he actually,
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in a sense, became my right hand
in the ministry that I was doing.
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it was interesting
because that what I was telling you before,
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you know, when you empower them,
they also come with their own ideas.
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And how do you deal with those
ideas when those
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ideas are not necessarily your ideas,
or are not necessarily what you want.
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So how do you work with them?
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I remember one day, after many
years, he got upset with me
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he write a resignation letter
saying that he would be moving and,
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he found another job with a dentist
and marketing
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But looking after, you have a
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young person who has his family,
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who has a stable situation,
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and you realize that the ten years,
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part of that environment.
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I was there.
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And that’s what I’m seeing.
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I mean I don’t think I am
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the person who made these possible.
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In the same way
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that I can not tell one person
who was the one who changed my life.
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It’s the whole environment.
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Yes. I think that is the Salesian
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Family Center, the Salesian organizations
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that we have, like the high school, why not,
we create that environment
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with a young person can feel at accompanied
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not only by one person,
but by many.
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There is three types of accompaniment
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Understanding accompaniment,
the fact of walking with.
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The first one is the personal, one on one.
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The second
one is the group accompaniment
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The 12 steps, AA and all of them,
they have a group accompaniment.
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And the third one,
that I think is the most important
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that not many people understand
is the environmental accompaniment.
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Meaning you create an environment
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where they feel welcome
where they feel they can walk.
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Had another young lady
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when I came I didn’t speak any English
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so she, she spoke in English and Spanish
because they’re from Mexico.
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But she used to play football with me.
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And no one would like to play with her
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because you know she was the youngest
so she would play my side.
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But nowadays
then she went to the missions.
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So she went and served
for one year in Tijuana.
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And then when she came
she started working in another church
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and she came to work with me.
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And now she’s helping me
as a board member of the organization that we have,
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and she has four children.
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So, for example,
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those are the moments that you say that
God has provided to me with this family,
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that is not really my family, blood family,
but it’s the people that I got growing up with.
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Wow. I am so amazed that they come allow
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to be part of their lives as as as
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they are part of my life.
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Yes. I could tell you a lot of things.
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I can also tell you young people
that when they are there,
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we connect, but they when they leave,
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we don’t see each other anymore.
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Well.
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That can also happen.
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So is is not, like for example
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right now, in our program, I have
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for this year I’ll have around 250 teenagers working with.
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They will be teenagers
that were super connected.
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And then once the program is over,
I will never see them again.
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Sad. No, but that is a part of life.
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It is a is a is an interesting
because I think the work that we do,
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I would say is probably
the most difficult work that you have.
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Because when you are doing something
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for someone, you,
you get, instant gratification.
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After these podcasts,
you know, you put it over there,
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people will look at it
and people will be happy.
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And there’s an instant satisfaction
for you, they say, okay we did it.
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You know, but when you work
with young people at that age.
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You don’t see
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the fruits of what you have said many years later.
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Right.
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The other day,
I had someone who works in the
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that now works for the forest.
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He’s a he’s a police force
or something like that.
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And I haven’t seen him for ten years.
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And why not?
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He approached me and said…and I said yes.
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He turned around and said, Dude, thank you.
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Do you remember the day
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that we talked 15 years ago?
And you told me that I would be fine,
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that I need to be at peace. Wow.
You have no idea how much that helped.
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But you see,
I haven’t seen the kid, he’s not a kid anymore,
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but I haven’t seen him for 15 years.
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And then suddenly, one day,
someone comes and so.
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You just never know
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the difference that you’re making
unless they do tell you.
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But I think just relying on faith
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that what you’re doing is valuable.
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Can help with that.
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You know, kind of gap in communication.
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Tell me, you know, we going back
a little bit to children’s mental health.
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How do you help
address their mental health
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in the work that you do?
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Speaking like I’m speaking right now..
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I think,
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I think no one is out of getting
panic attacks. No.
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I think even adults nowadays that are getting panic
attacks and sometimes we don’t understand
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where the panic attacks are coming from.
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I’ve been
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blessed to have one panic attack in my dreams.
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You have this nightmare
in the middle of the night I woke up
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I was sweating
and I didn’t know what to do.
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I think that moment
I realized that it’s real.
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Because for so many of us Latinos,
anxiety and those type of things, they don’t exist.
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So you shouldn’t be affected by it.
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But, being able to understand
what it is is basically,
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I mean, educating myself on how to deal
with the process like last year,
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in our summer program we had four or five kids
who were having panic attacks.
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So how do you walk with them.
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You know, and, and you need to learn
how to walk with them.
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It is interesting
because you grab their hands
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and their hands are sweaty. Sweaty.
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Sweating and cold. Then you
realize your body’s
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reacting to something
that is creating this reality.
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What is a panic attack?
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A panic attack to me, and I read this in some place,
and I’m really bad with names,
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So I don’t know who I give the credit to?
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Panic attack is the moment that anxiety
meets with fear.
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So the moment that your anxiety,
that you have been thinking that you’re anxious
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meets with fear, connects, and it’s a panic attack.
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Is it different techniques.
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And I teach the young people techniques
and how to ground themselves.
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Good. And those types of things.
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It’s an interesting topic
that we learn as we go.
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But it’s not like
we are experts or not mean.
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We just throw ourselves, when we need to swim, and you just swim as you can. Absolutely.
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And you know,
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you learn so much as a psychologist
as me I
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and but what you the I think the takeaway
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for most people in therapy
they’ve done like all these studies on
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what’s the best intervention,
what’s the best theory to use with people.
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None of it matters.
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What matters is the relationship
between the client and the therapist
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or like you and the child,
as long as you’re there for them,
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especially in the moment of fear
plus anxiety.
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That alone can be healing.
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That alone can be therapeutic.
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And what you’re teaching them,
you know, along with that,
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is what they can take away with them.
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But I think for anyone out there
that works with youth or just people
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in general, I think it’s so important
to know that your presence
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and how you listen
and how you care for them
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can be the most therapeutic thing of all.
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And you don’t have to tell them
what to do.
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You don’t have to show them what to do,
although it helps.
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But just being there is,
I think, the most important thing.
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And that’s what I got.
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When I met Jc, I met a bunch of kids
that he was, working with.
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It was for this,
the Chamber of Commerce panel.
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And the kids were so enthusiastic
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and so, jazzed
and pumped to be at this event.
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And I could tell that Jc’s presence alone,
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was a big part of why
they were so cohesive,
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why they were so excited to be at a
at a Chamber of Commerce event.
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I couldn’t believe
how excited that they were.
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So it’s it’s you. In a lot of ways,
I think.
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It’s not only me, when we do that,
but we do a disservice.
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Like, for example, in the team
you saw that day, you know, you have
00:12:01:13 – 00:12:02:17
Christina Mendoza, you have
00:12:04:11 – 00:12:08:02
these people who are walking
with them as well. Yes.
00:12:08:02 – 00:12:11:09
It’s not like Jc is the savior,
because it’s, it’s, it’s
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there is no such thing.
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But is, is the fact that we together
as organizations. Yes.
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With one common goal. Yes.
00:12:19:01 – 00:12:20:22
Well that’s really what I meant.
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I didn’t, you know,
but you are a big part of that.
00:12:24:05 – 00:12:27:02
But absolutely, the entire,
00:12:27:02 – 00:12:29:20
organization is amazing.
00:12:29:20 – 00:12:33:05
And you can tell that
everybody is so deeply invested
00:12:33:14 – 00:12:36:23
in helping these kids
achieve their dreams and their goals.
00:12:37:09 – 00:12:41:02
So you’re a big part of that,
and you have an amazing team around you.
00:12:42:01 – 00:12:45:00
So let’s let’s see about,
00:12:45:00 – 00:12:49:10
partnerships or collaborations
that you have found
00:12:49:10 – 00:12:54:02
most effective in addressing
the needs of disadvantaged youth.
00:12:54:10 – 00:12:59:07
Who else do you work with or partner
with to help these kids?
00:13:00:00 – 00:13:05:13
You know, in, in in my organization, in the Salesian Family Center, we’re open to anything.
00:13:06:09 – 00:13:08:15
If someone comes one day and say, hey,
00:13:08:15 – 00:13:12:14
I have $10,000
and we want to do something, we’ll make it happen.
00:13:13:22 – 00:13:15:14
I think
00:13:15:14 – 00:13:19:19
that is something that we have,
developed relationships.
00:13:19:19 – 00:13:21:07
You know, we work with the community,
00:13:21:07 – 00:13:25:07
we work with organizations
that are in the community in the area.
00:13:25:07 – 00:13:29:07
And then when we basically come together
and there is this organization
00:13:29:14 – 00:13:33:16
I prefer not to say names, because
I forget some names and they get upset with me.
00:13:33:16 – 00:13:37:08
We have this organization when they come and be like, hey,
what do you think
00:13:37:08 – 00:13:42:01
if we can actually, research your parents
and this organization went
00:13:42:02 – 00:13:45:21
and stay outside of the youth center
for almost six months
00:13:46:07 – 00:13:49:14
getting just information,
and then we learned that one of our kids
00:13:50:06 – 00:13:53:11
was not sleeping in, in the in the.
00:13:53:18 – 00:13:56:18
He was sleeping on the floor
because there was no mattress.
00:13:56:21 – 00:13:59:05
What about our kids in Los Angeles?
00:13:59:05 – 00:14:01:04
Wow. Nowadays,
and the kid was sleeping on the floor.
00:14:01:13 – 00:14:05:03
So through the organization we went ahead
and bought a mattress for him.
00:14:05:10 – 00:14:08:10
So for him to have something
to sleep on. Wow
00:14:08:16 – 00:14:12:13
This is the reality that we live in Los Angeles
that we don’t realize. Yes.
00:14:14:11 – 00:14:17:17
We have, another organization in skid row.
00:14:18:21 – 00:14:21:15
I am challenged to do something
more than the common.
00:14:21:15 – 00:14:23:17
You know, it’s easier
to put a bag of food
00:14:23:17 – 00:14:26:10
and go and give it to the homeless
on skid row per se.
00:14:26:10 – 00:14:29:20
So instead lets
just go play with the kids, you know?
00:14:29:21 – 00:14:34:19
And believe it
or not, in skid row, there are children.
00:14:34:19 – 00:14:37:17
Of course. Who are homeless. Yes.
00:14:37:17 – 00:14:40:11
So we went over there
and we, we start playing.
00:14:40:11 – 00:14:44:00
There was someone, a person
that I’m so grateful he donated to us
00:14:44:00 – 00:14:45:20
Legos
00:14:45:20 – 00:14:48:18
He donated a huge amount of Legos
00:14:48:18 – 00:14:51:18
Wow. We were with those Legos
playing with the children
00:14:53:08 – 00:14:55:14
in the skid row,
with the homeless children.
00:14:55:14 – 00:14:58:14
But this is the reality
that sometimes we are in, in
00:14:58:14 – 00:15:02:17
this area
that we don’t see more than what
00:15:03:08 – 00:15:04:16
is in our eyes.
00:15:05:04 – 00:15:08:04
But the reality is that we live in a
society where there is a lot of need.
00:15:08:04 – 00:15:10:20
A lot of need.
00:15:10:20 – 00:15:11:22
The question that I have is
00:15:11:22 – 00:15:14:22
And, and that is part of my upbringing.
00:15:15:00 – 00:15:16:15
My feelings. How can we do more?
00:15:16:15 – 00:15:19:01
How can we help those who are really in need?
00:15:19:01 – 00:15:20:02
That is what we try,
00:15:20:02 – 00:15:21:16
so that’s our question actually.
00:15:21:16 – 00:15:24:16
Yes. And what are
what are your ideas so far?
00:15:24:20 – 00:15:28:06
I mean, homelessness is a huge problem
in Los Angeles.
00:15:28:14 – 00:15:33:10
And it is, you know, there are a lot
of children who are homeless.
00:15:33:19 – 00:15:36:19
What are some ideas to help them
00:15:36:19 – 00:15:40:15
be bridged to homes or to getting better
help?
00:15:41:14 – 00:15:46:21
Sadly, we are not in the in
that business per se.
00:15:46:21 – 00:15:49:19
Because you will need way more money.
00:15:49:19 – 00:15:52:10
So what we do is we bridge. Yes.
00:15:52:10 – 00:15:54:10
If we know someone who’s having
the situation,
00:15:54:10 – 00:15:56:21
we know some organizations who are amazing
and they will help them, so.
00:15:56:21 – 00:16:01:08
And so what we do is we bridge.
And our main purpose is, number one
00:16:01:08 – 00:16:02:23
is to educate the young people
00:16:02:23 – 00:16:07:04
who go with us to pray in the streets
to get food and all that stuff.
00:16:07:04 – 00:16:10:19
But also to those kids
who are there to feel that someone cares.
00:16:11:12 – 00:16:15:18
It’s amazing, I have a couple of videos in my
00:16:15:18 – 00:16:18:12
when kids will come and be like God bless you.
00:16:19:12 – 00:16:21:07
Just moves the whole thing.
00:16:21:07 – 00:16:22:23
Yeah.
00:16:22:23 – 00:16:24:23
We are just,
00:16:24:23 – 00:16:26:21
as I said, our business,
00:16:26:21 – 00:16:27:17
if you want to call these
00:16:27:17 – 00:16:31:04
educate young people for them
to understand their full potential.
00:16:31:04 – 00:16:34:12
We need to present this reality with them
00:16:34:12 – 00:16:35:22
with the homelessness, we go
00:16:35:22 – 00:16:38:03
But we don’t go
just give the food.
00:16:38:03 – 00:16:40:07
We ask them, what did you learn from this?
00:16:40:07 – 00:16:42:00
You know, what is the difference
00:16:42:00 – 00:16:43:08
between them and us?
00:16:43:08 – 00:16:46:08
Yes. How do you think
they ended up over there? Yes.
00:16:46:15 – 00:16:49:05
The reflection process
is what they are helping them to say
00:16:49:05 – 00:16:50:06
Okay. You know.
00:16:50:06 – 00:16:53:06
They need to be good in school, they need
to go to college, or
00:16:53:06 – 00:16:55:06
I need to have a trade that will help me.
00:16:55:06 – 00:16:58:05
How can I become the best version
of myself?
00:16:58:05 – 00:17:00:23
And that is what we try to do with
every interaction with young people.
00:17:00:23 – 00:17:02:03
You know, I love that.
00:17:02:03 – 00:17:06:20
I love that, and I’m sure that that’s
extremely inspiring for them.
00:17:07:08 – 00:17:12:16
Now, if you had a chance
to influence policy on a national scale,
00:17:13:05 – 00:17:18:10
what would be your top three priorities
for supporting disadvantaged youth?
00:17:19:20 – 00:17:22:20
I think at this point, more young
people need to be called
00:17:23:03 – 00:17:26:03
to be at the table where the
discussions are happening.
00:17:26:21 – 00:17:30:01
I think sometimes in our in our reality,
00:17:32:06 – 00:17:35:05
there is no young people in the, in the,
in those areas.
00:17:35:05 – 00:17:38:09
The people for making decisions
normally are people
00:17:38:09 – 00:17:41:09
who are old experience or not.
00:17:41:13 – 00:17:44:22
But there is a huge disconnection
between what the
00:17:46:17 – 00:17:48:21
who they are and what we live,
00:17:48:21 – 00:17:50:11
with what they are living.
00:17:50:11 – 00:17:51:21
To give you an example
00:17:52:06 – 00:17:55:04
I consider myself being
00:17:55:04 – 00:17:56:19
versed in social media.
00:17:56:19 – 00:17:59:19
Sometimes I do not understand
the way how they communicate.
00:18:00:04 – 00:18:03:03
Oh no, it’s a whole other language.
00:18:03:03 – 00:18:07:08
I don’t know if you saw just a little side
note that show adolescents.
00:18:07:13 – 00:18:09:09
Oh my gosh.
00:18:09:09 – 00:18:11:12
Is that what you’re talking about?
That is part of it.
00:18:11:12 – 00:18:13:17
It’s insane. Continue.
00:18:13:17 – 00:18:16:17
So I think we need to bring
the young people to the table
00:18:16:21 – 00:18:19:19
and to be able to bring the young people
to the table, we need to have,
00:18:20:23 – 00:18:23:04
intergenerational dialog.
00:18:23:04 – 00:18:26:16
I don’t think we are willing
or able to to understand
00:18:26:16 – 00:18:31:11
what it means intergenerational dialog,
until we actually experience it. Yes.
00:18:32:03 – 00:18:32:23
And that’s what I’m saying.
00:18:32:23 – 00:18:37:03
Sometimes we are so polarized
that we don’t allow the other people
00:18:37:03 – 00:18:40:09
who think differently
than us in the same table.
00:18:40:16 – 00:18:41:07
No.
00:18:41:07 – 00:18:45:15
When the reality should be, if some people
who are in this table don’t think like me,
00:18:45:23 – 00:18:47:01
God bless them.
00:18:47:01 – 00:18:47:13
Thank you.
00:18:47:13 – 00:18:50:13
Because they will help me
and challenge me to see things in a different way.
00:18:50:20 – 00:18:52:01
Yes. And that’s one of the things
00:18:52:01 – 00:18:55:01
that I try to do in the meetings,
for example, you were mentioning
00:18:57:18 – 00:19:00:17
which is one of the
organizations that we have that works
00:19:00:17 – 00:19:03:20
with underprivileged children
in the whole of America.
00:19:04:13 – 00:19:08:10
So we have a orphanages, we have food.
00:19:08:13 – 00:19:11:13
We have I mean,
in the whole American the Salesians.
00:19:11:19 – 00:19:14:20
But one of the questions over there
that I am on the board for, I wasn’t aware
00:19:14:20 – 00:19:18:20
of the time that I will read this question
that will make people uncomfortable.
00:19:20:03 – 00:19:21:11
I think we don’t like to be uncomfortable.
00:19:21:11 – 00:19:22:01
Nope.
00:19:22:01 – 00:19:24:16
So if you’re asking me
what would I do to change policies,
00:19:24:16 – 00:19:27:04
I would say that is number one,
is bring them to the table.
00:19:27:04 – 00:19:30:04
And once you bring them to the table,
the whole range of people
00:19:30:12 – 00:19:31:15
we can start talking about
00:19:31:15 – 00:19:34:00
what can we do differently? Right.
00:19:34:00 – 00:19:37:00
And do you think in terms of policy,
00:19:37:11 – 00:19:40:02
what do you think that the kids
00:19:40:02 – 00:19:43:02
that you’re working with need the most?
00:19:43:19 – 00:19:46:20
One of the things that is really
interesting is that education is super expensive.
00:19:47:04 – 00:19:51:22
Yes. When you want to send kids to
to to to university.
00:19:51:22 – 00:19:54:22
I mean, if you don’t know how to manage
that, you will ended up with
00:19:55:20 – 00:19:58:03
$200, $300,000 in debt.
00:19:58:03 – 00:19:59:16
Right. Even before you start.
00:19:59:16 – 00:20:00:01
Right.
00:20:00:01 – 00:20:03:09
So I think we need to have some
type of reform in education.
00:20:04:16 – 00:20:06:22
I think
we need to do some type of reform in,
00:20:06:22 – 00:20:11:00
in being able to communicate. How
come we’re still being polarized?
00:20:11:00 – 00:20:14:03
Yes. How can we bring to the table
and sit down and talk about it?
00:20:14:14 – 00:20:15:16
Right.
00:20:15:16 – 00:20:18:16
How can we be able to do those type of things
that will help all of us as a community.
00:20:19:03 – 00:20:23:07
Yes. Those are the things that will
help us out to be in a better situation.
00:20:23:07 – 00:20:26:07
But for that we need to be intentional
about bringing it to the table.
00:20:26:13 – 00:20:27:06
Right.
00:20:27:06 – 00:20:32:00
So funding for education
I think is universal.
00:20:32:09 – 00:20:35:23
I think it’s definitely in peril
right now for sure.
00:20:36:08 – 00:20:41:20
So that would be my number one, option
for, for people at this point.
00:20:42:05 – 00:20:46:12
But tell me, as far as you know,
00:20:46:12 – 00:20:50:22
your work,
what is the next project down the line?
00:20:51:04 – 00:20:55:19
What are you really looking forward
to, in terms of working with these kids?
00:20:56:18 – 00:20:57:06
I think
00:20:57:06 – 00:21:02:06
for us as an organization is to continue
serving them to have quality programs.
00:21:03:16 – 00:21:06:22
But at the same time,
if the opportunity arises
00:21:06:22 – 00:21:09:17
and we’re able to have the funds
and the money
00:21:09:17 – 00:21:12:11
or the people who are going to be here
will support you.
00:21:12:11 – 00:21:15:11
Which, by the way, I’m really grateful
to the ones who are supporting us.
00:21:16:07 – 00:21:19:14
But it will be nice for example to start
opening different youth centers.
00:21:19:23 – 00:21:20:21
Oh, wow.
00:21:20:21 – 00:21:23:15
Opening a youth center in a different location.
00:21:23:15 – 00:21:25:11
Finding some type of,
00:21:25:11 – 00:21:28:17
really need where we can do
something about it and help the kids.
00:21:28:17 – 00:21:32:12
I think that is why we are called to lead,
to help the ones who are in the most need.
00:21:32:12 – 00:21:35:01
Yes. And I think you were at
00:21:35:01 – 00:21:39:09
at least a few different conferences
in the recent past.
00:21:39:14 – 00:21:40:05
Is that right?
00:21:40:05 – 00:21:42:21
I think I saw that on LinkedIn.
00:21:42:21 – 00:21:45:09
I’ve been giving conferences
all over the place.
00:21:45:09 – 00:21:49:09
And so I, I normally
that is part of what we do as well.
00:21:49:13 – 00:21:54:14
So we can go and we’ll talk about who
we are, what we do, motivational speaking.
00:21:55:01 – 00:21:56:17
How do we help young people?
00:21:56:17 – 00:21:58:11
Even with the
young people themselves.
00:21:58:11 – 00:22:02:18
How do we find your inner self?
Who you are.
00:22:02:18 – 00:22:05:08
Those types of talks we actually go around.
And leadership.
00:22:05:17 – 00:22:06:14
Oh, good. Which is amazing,
00:22:06:14 – 00:22:09:02
many young people now when they
hear leadership, they are afraid of it.
00:22:09:02 – 00:22:10:20
they don’t want to be much involved.
00:22:10:20 – 00:22:13:20
Oh, yes. But that is what we need to be
involved in if we want to make a difference.
00:22:13:23 – 00:22:15:18
Do you have any conferences coming up
00:22:15:18 – 00:22:17:11
that you’re speaking at?
00:22:17:11 – 00:22:20:10
I have a,
00:22:20:10 – 00:22:22:22
I have a couple coming up.
00:22:22:22 – 00:22:25:21
Where I will be
speaking about these specific topics.
00:22:25:21 – 00:22:28:21
I have another meeting in Rome in,
00:22:30:23 – 00:22:33:22
in the beginning of June.
00:22:33:22 – 00:22:36:22
I think this meeting up in Rome,
we’re actually
00:22:37:18 – 00:22:42:00
Rome now because it’s the Vatican,
because the Salesians have their main house over there..
00:22:42:08 – 00:22:47:04
We’ll be talking about volunteerism
and how we can promote and keep providing
00:22:47:15 – 00:22:50:21
opportunities of volunteerism
to young people. Wow.
00:22:50:21 – 00:22:52:00
In reality,
00:22:54:02 – 00:22:55:01
The way you can
00:22:55:01 – 00:22:58:01
experience life
is by exposing yourself to those realities.
00:22:58:06 – 00:23:01:18
And then you see really what it means,
and that transforms your change.
00:23:01:23 – 00:23:06:20
Actually my doctorate degree was based in that,
in volunteerism and how it changes the life of people.
00:23:07:02 – 00:23:08:15
Oh how exciting.
00:23:08:15 – 00:23:12:23
Well tell everyone
how they might be able to contact you.
00:23:13:00 – 00:23:16:19
Say, if they want you to speak for them
or if they want their kids
00:23:16:19 – 00:23:19:19
to get involved with you,
how do they find you.
00:23:19:19 – 00:23:22:22
We have the Salesian Family Center website
where you can see.
00:23:23:21 – 00:23:26:07
You can also follow us on LinkedIn.
00:23:26:10 – 00:23:30:01
I got, social media
like, Instagram and Facebook as well.
00:23:30:09 – 00:23:33:03
So that’ll be the best way to, to find me.
00:23:33:03 – 00:23:36:11
We are creating
this website JCMontenegro dot me
00:23:37:07 – 00:23:37:20
Okay.
00:23:37:20 – 00:23:40:21
That is the part that we are working on,
is helping
00:23:40:21 – 00:23:43:21
to to empower young people to
become the best they can be.
00:23:43:22 – 00:23:44:16
Okay.
00:23:44:16 – 00:23:49:10
And what’s the, the social media handles?
00:23:49:20 – 00:23:52:10
That’s an interesting, it’s Kawarim.
00:23:52:21 – 00:23:55:18
Kawarim is the nickname that I got
00:23:55:18 – 00:23:58:11
when I was 18 years old in the
middle of the jungle.
00:23:58:14 – 00:24:03:04
So when I went over there,
native people that are really short,
00:24:03:15 – 00:24:08:20
There was a family of natives whose name is Kawarim,
and they are tall,
00:24:09:06 – 00:24:11:14
so they put me that as a nickname.
00:24:11:14 – 00:24:15:11
And since 1994, I got that nickname and
I put it in everything.
00:24:15:11 – 00:24:18:20
Kawarim is -K-A-W-A-R-I-M.
00:24:19:09 – 00:24:20:01
Okay.
00:24:20:01 – 00:24:22:06
We’re going to put that in the show
notes, everybody,
00:24:22:06 – 00:24:25:06
especially
if you do want to get a hold of Doctor
00:24:25:06 – 00:24:28:18
Jc, to work with them,
to have him speak with you.
00:24:29:04 – 00:24:35:06
Doctor Jc, thank you so much
for bringing your enthusiasm, your love
00:24:35:06 – 00:24:39:08
for working with kids, your hopes,
your dreams, your desires for them.
00:24:39:17 – 00:24:41:19
I have the same hopes and dreams.
00:24:41:19 – 00:24:45:01
I really do think right now
it’s challenging.
00:24:45:08 – 00:24:48:08
But especially if we can all come together
00:24:48:14 – 00:24:52:22
and learn how to listen and learn
how to speak to each other respectfully.
00:24:53:05 – 00:24:58:16
We can navigate through these times
much easier, with much less polarization.
00:24:58:16 – 00:25:03:02
And I’m so glad you’re out there doing
this kind of work to help support that.
00:25:03:09 – 00:25:05:18
Well, thank you for the invitation.
Thank you for having me here.
00:25:05:18 – 00:25:11:15
And I really have a beautiful moment
to reflect and think about what we
have been doing as well,
00:25:11:15 – 00:25:12:23
so that is really good for me as well, thank you.
00:25:12:23 – 00:25:15:00
Okay. Thank you so much.
00:25:15:00 – 00:25:18:04
And thank you all
for tuning into the ANEW Insight podcast.
00:25:18:11 – 00:25:21:06
We are looking forward
to our next exciting interview
00:25:21:06 – 00:25:23:04
and hope you join us next time.
00:25:24:22 – 00:25:28:03
Thanks for tuning into
the ANEW Insight Podcast.
00:25:28:03 – 00:25:30:19
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00:25:30:19 – 00:25:35:15
is for entertainment purposes only,
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00:25:35:15 – 00:25:38:11
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